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0575095962
| 9780575095960
| 0575095962
| 4.60
| 29,653
| Sep 14, 2021
| Sep 14, 2021
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it was amazing
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ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review. Joe Abercrombie is a genius storyteller. The Wisdom of Crowds is one of the be ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review. Joe Abercrombie is a genius storyteller. The Wisdom of Crowds is one of the best books of the year, a masterfully crafted conclusion to The Age of Madness trilogy. “What is the point of gathering knowledge if one does not pass it on? What is the point of growing old if one does not try to shape the future?” For years I’ve mentioned the Last Argument of Kings as Joe Abercrombie’s best book; it is a masterwork in grimdark fantasy, in my opinion. For years I’ve said Abercrombie probably won’t be able to come up with a novel that matched—or topped—the Last Argument of Kings. Today, that unbending situation changed; I’m gratified to say that Abercrombie has done it. The Wisdom of Crowds, the last book in The Age of Madness trilogy, is up there with the Last Argument of Kings as the best book in The First Law World and his career. And I dare say it’s indeed his most well-written book so far. Last week, I did an interview with Joe Abercrombie on my YouTube channel, and it is one of my most treasured experiences as a book reviewer. I hope to have the chance to do that again in the future because The Wisdom of Crowds is one of the best books I’ve read, and I have some burning questions regarding the revelations unveiled in this novel. Anyway, that’s for the future, now let’s begin with the review. “Sometimes, the only way to improve something is to destroy it, so it can be rebuilt better… Sometimes, to change the world, we must first burn it down.” Chaos, fury, and destruction; this is how The Wisdom of Crowds starts, and it’s also how the narrative progresses. The Great Change is here, and our beloved main characters—voluntarily or not—are all caught in its sweeping madness. Abercrombie didn’t waste time shifting the story and characters into their crimson path. Right from their respective first chapter, everyone’s plunged into this uncontrollable vicious frenzy. If you’ve read A Little Hatred and The Trouble with Peace, then you’ll know what the chapter “Little People” signifies. Unlike the previous books, the first out of two “Little People” in The Wisdom of Crowds happened in chapter 3; it is that soon. “How could one man keep his oath when everyone else was breaking theirs, after all? An army very much relied on unity of purpose.” From the beginning to the end, not a single page in this novel ever felt dull to me. I know that every author writes differently, but I do wish more authors write and structure their series the way Abercrombie or Michael Sullivan did with their trilogy. For those of you who don’t know, Abercrombie finished writing the entire The First Law trilogy first before he focused on polishing one book at a time. This method was reimplemented for The Age of Madness trilogy, and same with the Last Argument of Kings, this kind of storytelling planning and structure allow Abercrombie to fill the pages of his concluding volume with an incredibly engaging—and believable—revelations and narrative. The Wisdom of Crowds proved that The Age of Madness trilogy has some of his most meticulous plotting so far; revelations are done in abundance, and they never felt out of place. This is a novel—or trilogy—that successfully captured a myriad of relatable themes and character’s actions such as freedom, betrayals, loyalties, conspiracies, leadership, responsibilities, survival, politics, war, ambitions, and the price of progress. “Have you been outside lately? Wisdom is not at a premium, madness is the fashion, the balance sheets are all torn up and the friends that were assets have become liabilities… Threats for tomorrow don’t cut very deep when today is so damn threatening.” I won’t lie; as a long-time and diehard fan of The First Law World, there’s always a part of me that feels gleeful when characters or backgrounds attained from reading the previous six novels plus one collection of short stories appeared. This isn’t to say that I didn’t love or care about the new main characters of this trilogy; if that were the case, I doubt I’ll be giving each book in this trilogy a 5 stars rating. However, prior to reading The Wisdom of Crowds, I never felt like the new main characters could compete with Abercrombie’s previous main characters. Again, I was gladly proven wrong. I’m being truthful when I say there are no characters in The First Law World that I love more than Logen Ninefingers or Sand dan Glokta; they’re too iconic and unforgettable for me. But I’ll be lying if I say that I didn’t immensely enjoy reading the journey of Rikke, Orso, Leo, Savine, Broad, Vick, and Clover. They’re not Logen Ninefingers, and they’re not Sand dan Glokta; they’re never meant to be, and that’s completely okay. By this concluding installment, I personally think these new main characters—especially Rikke, Orso, Leo, and Savine—have earned their spot as some of the most well-written characters in fantasy. I mean, Rikke and Savine have both became some of my favorite characters, too. Say one thing for Abercrombie, say that his level of characterizations is unmatched in grimdark fantasy. “The past has never interested me. For better or worse it is done, and set, and littered with disappointments as a battlefield is littered with the dead. But the future is a ploughed field, full of potential. The future we can twist into wonderful shapes.” I never thought I would end up caring for all the characters in this trilogy this much, but now that I finished it, I felt like there’s a gap inside of me that won’t be filled until Abercrombie write more characters for me to feel invested in. The main characters underwent tremendous character development in The Wisdom of Crowds. The lawless chaos and savage circumstances they’re in have pushed all of them towards becoming a better or cruel version of the person they were. Almost all the main characters realistically changed from their first appearance in A Little Hatred. Wishes buy nothing, and good luck is always in limited supply. Alliances constantly shifted, betrayals and tough decisions have to be unflinchingly executed in order to survive. I loved reading the character’s developments and the conclusion to their story; some made me surprisingly happy and satisfied, and some depressed me. This is an entry in The First Law World, after all, and you have to be realistic about these things. “It’s a comfort, telling yourself there’s some big right thing out there. That you could seek some wise old bastard in the mountains who’s got the answer. Then there’d be no need for doubts and regrets… But far as I can tell it ain’t that simple. Right things, wrong things, well… it’s all a matter of where you stand. Every choice is good for some, bad for others. And once you’re chief, you can’t just do what’s good for you, or those you love. You have to find what’s best for most. Worst for fewest.” The action sequences in The Wisdom of Crowds, once again—I know I sound like a broken record here—established Abercrombie as one of the two best close-quarter combat scenes writers; the other author being John Gwynne. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, The Wisdom of Crowds started with an explosive bang, but it felt relatively small compared to the third and final act of the novel. The end of the second act was pulse-pounding, and it seamlessly transitioned into the non-stop barrage of mayhem and devastations—emotionally and physically—of the final act. It was all so relentlessly brilliant and insane; the immersion I got from reading Abercrombie’s compelling dialogues and battle scenes are vivid and rare to find in other books. Having read so many fantasy books now, it’s getting harder for me to feel like I’m inside a battle scene with the characters experiencing the glory, terrors, and brutal bloodbath. And reading The Wisdom of Crowds has all these immersion effects on me. “The sad truth is, men love to follow a man other man fear… Makes them feel fearsome, too. We tell the odd fond story of the good men. The straight edges. Your Rudd Threetrees, your Dogmen. But it’s the butchers men love to sing of. The burners and the blood-spillers. Your Cracknut Whirruns and your Black Dows. Your Bloody-Nines. Men don’t dream of doing the right thing, but of ripping what they want from the world with their strength and their will.” The Wisdom of Crowds is, at the moment, the peak of quality in Abercrombie’s prose. It’s unbelievable, but it’s true; Abercrombie has written more than ten novels now, and he somehow keeps getting better and better with each book he wrote. It’s so astounding to me. “Better to do it than live with the fear of it” that’s penned in The Blade Itself remains as one of the important mottos I use to motivate me in my daily life. And in this novel, I highlighted 36 passages. No kidding; there were so many well-crafted sentences and passages I wish I could share with you all, but I’ll leave those for you to find out for yourself. “History is not the story of battles between right and wrong, but between one man’s right and another’s. Evil is not the opposite of good. It is what we call another man’s notion of good when it differs from ours.” Lastly, before I end this review, I’ve mentioned and praise the hell out of Abercrombie’s trademark skill in writing magnificent characterizations, dialogues, battle scenes, and all the grim and dark content. But there’s one more trademark of Abercrombie’s prose to mention: humor. The Wisdom of Crowds is the darkest novel in the trilogy, but this doesn’t mean it’s deficient in its humor. I can’t believe how many times I laughed out loud reading this book; I’m pretty sure most of them were during scenes I shouldn’t laugh about, too. Seriously, there was a chapter involving Clover and Downside that made me laugh out loud. And believe me when I say that I rarely laugh when I’m reading a novel. But that’s the thing; the superb characterizations and humor are what separated and elevated Abercrombie from other grimdark fantasy authors. Amidst the character’s bloody ambitions, ruthless violence, and horrific tragedy, Abercrombie’s cunning capability to insert dark humor at the right—or inappropriate—moment and time made the pacing in his books so captivating. “Don’t matter how savage a face you show the world, few men dare look the Great Leveller in the eye once he comes calling.” Following a comparable contrasting fashion Abercrombie employed in The First Law trilogy, Abercrombie started and concluded The Age of Madness similarly. The first chapter in The Blade Itself is called “The End,” and the last chapter in the Last Argument of Kings is called “The Beginning.” The first chapter in A Little Hatred is titled “Blessings and Curses”, while the last chapter of The Wisdom of Crowds is titled “Curses and Blessings.” And when it comes to reading Abercrombie’s books, this title couldn’t be more apt. It’s a blessing to have read every book in The First Law World, and it’s also a curse to have read them all. Same with the Last Argument of Kings written by the same connoisseur, The Wisdom of Crowds has joined the same esteemed rank of fantasy masterpieces. This is the end of The Age of Madness trilogy, but I doubt this will mark the end of The First Law World. The ending showed glimpses of super exciting things to come in the future of this world. But if this somehow ended up being the end, I truly don’t mind. I’m an extremely happy and satisfied reader to have read all the available nine novels and one collection of short stories in The First Law World. The entirety of The First Law World—The First Law trilogy, the standalone trilogy, and The Age of Madness trilogy—is the greatest grimdark fantasy series that I’ve read. Bravo, Joe Abercrombie; the bar for grimdark fantasy has been raised again. And you, Lord Grimdark, remain absolute as one of the greatest fantasy authors of all time. “Great folk are great ‘cause they plant new footsteps. Not ‘cause they blunder through the same mistakes some other bastards made.” Series review: A Little Hatred: 5/5 stars The Trouble with Peace: 5/5 stars The Wisdom of Crowds: 5/5 stars The Age of Madness: 15/15 stars You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Blackwells (Free International shipping) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Element, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Hunter, Jimmy Nutts, Jennifer, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Shaad, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 14, 2021
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Sep 16, 2021
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Aug 25, 2018
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
0575095911
| 9780575095915
| 0575095911
| 4.60
| 33,989
| Sep 15, 2020
| Sep 15, 2020
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it was amazing
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I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjh... ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an hones I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjh... ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review. Incredibly mesmeric and brilliant. The trouble with reading Abercrombie’s newest book is that there’s no more new Abercrombie book to read. “He’d seen victories enough, and they were like the false summits of a great fell. You struggle towards ‘em, sure you’ve made the top, then the moment you get there you see another just beyond. No fight was ever the last. No victory was ever for good.” Conspiracy. Betrayal. Rebellion. Peace is just another kind of battlefield. Politics, backstabbing, betrayals, and treasons have their viciousness highlighted further during times of peace. Let’s look back to what our favorite Inquisitor loved to say: “life is the misery we endure between disappointments.” The same quotation, unfortunately, applies to this momentary—and relative—state of calmness; peace doesn’t last forever. The Trouble With Peace is the second book in the Age of Madness trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, the story continues immediately from where A Little Hatred ended, and the themes in the novel revolved around ambitions, bravery, glory, war, peace, and legacy. This is a sequel that’s heavily focused on politics, scheming, manipulation, and rebellion. Most of the pages in this novel were spent on planning, sharp dialogues, and attaining the courage to get things done. Of course, these were done in Abercrombie’s trademark grim, humorous, and bloody storytelling. “There comes a point… when talking about a better world is simply not enough. There comes a time… when men of conscience, principle and courage must dare the unthinkable… and fight for a better world.” I’m starting to become more and more invested with the new characters of this trilogy. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, characterizations have always been one of Abercrombie’s main forte as a writer, and his characterizations of many characters throughout the eight novels (so far) in The First Law World is exemplary to the genre. I’ve read quite a lot of grimdark fantasy novels, and seriously, though many were good, so few can match Abercrombie’s skill in making me genuinely care towards the fate of the morally grey characters. Rikke, Leo dan Brock, Orso, Savine, Broad, Viki, and Clover are back as the key characters, and their character’s development was nothing short of outstanding. It was highly delightful seeing each and every one of them doing their best to survive, or in some rare cases, fight for a better world. Whether they achieved it or not, well, this is an Abercrombie book. Some will succeed, some will fail. You have to be realistic about this. “My scripture teacher used to say that those who strive and fail are as blessed as those who succeed.” I know that it’s none of my business, and I’ve said this in my review of A Little Hatred, but it genuinely makes me sad when I see/heard readers read this trilogy without reading the previous six books in the universe first. At the very least, please take some time to read The First Law trilogy first; in my opinion, it’s a must-read before you read this trilogy. Not only The First Law trilogy is one of the best grimdark trilogy series of all time, but finishing the trilogy—even better if you include Best Served Cold and The Heroes as well—prior to reading the Age of Madness would benefit your reading experience of both A Little Hatred and The Trouble With Peace so much. Readers would be missing on so many delicious character backgrounds, impactful dialogues, and intricate world-building contexts if they decided not to read the previous books first. There’s no rush, take your time, buy the new books on release day to support the author, but these new books aren’t going anywhere. True, the main story is centered on the new characters, but many important side characters in this trilogy were major characters in the previous books that still play a role in enhancing the story and the rich universe that Abercrombie has built for the past fourteen years. “We’re all like children, Rikke. The older you get, the more you realize the grown-ups won’t suddenly walk in and set things right. You want things right, you have to put ‘em right yourself.” Politicking, conspiracy, engaging dialogues, and superb characterizations weren’t the only great things that this book has to offer. It’s not another volume in The First Law World if it were to miss its wonderfully vicious action sequences, and by the dead did Abercrombie delivered spectacularly. There’s a possibility, in an epic fantasy novel, that when the POV suddenly changes to non-main characters, the particular chapter could end up being boring or less interesting, this isn’t the case with Abercrombie. If you’ve read Last Argument of Kings and beyond, you should know by now that a chapter where Abercrombie starts using non-main characters POV to tell his story IS the chapter where things descent into chaos, madness, and brutal violence. I love how this has started to become a standard to expect in The First Law World, and Abercrombie’s depiction of destruction and fatalities in one scene through the eyes of many characters were magnificent. “A man is measured by his enemies. Worthy ones can be more missed than friends… Magic fades from the world but, in truth, most problem have always been better solved with a few sharp words. Or a little sharp steel.” For example, there was a chapter in this book where we see an event occurred from the perspective of one character at first. The narrative then immediately proceeds to rewind and show the same scene again, but this time from the eyes of a different character in the same location. This was repeated several times within this one chapter, and each rewind and reenaction brought a new compelling, vivid, and cinematic reading experience. There’s a chapter titled Little People that exhibits this clever narrative structure again. The explosive last quarter in The Trouble With Peace was Abercrombie’s action sequences at his best; crushing, merciless, chaotic, and intense. Can injustice be vanquished? Can the characters survive the terrifying ordeal they faced? I’ll let you find out for yourself. “I must confess I have always had some sympathy with villains. Heroism makes fine entertainment but sooner or later someone has to get things done.” Same with practically everyone in the world, the year 2020 has been one hell of a difficult year, maybe even the worst year ever for some people. It’s good to know that, at the very least, literature managed to uphold one law in grimdark fantasy escapism, and that is Joe Abercrombie still remains as one of the greatest modern fantasy writers. I have no doubt that when The Trouble With Peace invades the library of Abercrombie’s fans, it will—once again and unsurprisingly—satisfy their craving for an excellent grim, dark novel. The Trouble With Peace is that it doesn't last. The Trouble With Peace is that it’s Abercrombie's newest book, which means that we have to wait again for his next book to be published. I’ve read everything in The First Law World, that’s eight full novels and one collection of short stories, and I can’t get enough of this series. The Trouble With Peace is a marvelous sequel by a grimdark fantasy novelist at the top of his craft; Abercrombie might truly end up becoming THE best grimdark novelist of all time. I can’t wait to find out how this trilogy concludes; the third and last book of the Age of Madness trilogy has been written, and it’s currently scheduled to be released on September 2021. Follow the wisdom of crowds; be wise, and invest your time and money on this series. “An investor must know an opportunity when she sees it, must judge the risks and rewards in an instant, and if one outweighs the other pounce upon it, commit without delay, without regret, without sentiment.” Official release date: 15th September 2020 You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping) The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Devin, Hamad, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 05, 2020
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Aug 08, 2020
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Aug 25, 2018
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Hardcover
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0008412766
| 9780008412760
| 0008412766
| 4.54
| 799,125
| Aug 08, 2000
| Nov 12, 2020
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it was amazing
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I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo An absolutely merciless and brilliant masterwork. This was unbelievably I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo An absolutely merciless and brilliant masterwork. This was unbelievably amazing. A Storm of Swords could actually be the height of George R. R. Martin’s writing career. I know I haven’t read A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons, or the extra books of the series yet. But realistically speaking, it would be bloody difficult for Martin to top what he has achieved in this book. Picture: A Storm of Swords by Marc Simonetti [image] I’ll try to make this review shorter than usual, and I won’t be talking about the story at all to avoid spoilers. Seriously, you have to experience this for yourself. If you miraculously haven’t watched the TV series yet, A Storm of Swords encompassed seasons 3 and 4 of the TV series. I have known the main twists and turns of this volume due to watching the TV show first, but somehow this incredible novel was still able to fully capture my attention. It brings me to this point once again: I can’t even imagine how much I’ll love this traumatizing book IF I’ve read it without having watched the TV series adaptation. “Old stories are like old friends, she used to say. You have to visit them from time to time.” This, of course, doesn’t mean that you should skip the TV series. Up to season 4, the TV series adaptation remains mostly loyal to the original material. Sure it’s not like the scene by scene adaptation portrayed in the first season anymore, but I do honestly think that there were some moments that the TV series did even better than the book, and vice versa. I totally loved what I’ve read so far in A Song of Ice and Fire; this novel, in particular, is currently my favorite within the series, and that’s saying a lot. From my experience reading the series, Martin’s prose during his battle scenes were great, but I personally feel there are other grimdark fantasy authors—like Joe Abercrombie, Jeff Salyards, and Steven Erikson—that writes superior battle scenes compared to Martin’s. The battle scenes were one factor where the TV show excelled. Also, I will never stop praising Peter Dinklage’s acting performance as Tyrion Lannister. I found that the acting exhibited by Peter Dinklage and many other actors/actresses in the TV show did sufficient justice to the superb characterizations that Martin gave to the characters of the series. “Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably. And Rhaegar died.” The main reasons why I loved reading the series is not because of the battle scenes, but for the terrific characterizations, intricate world-building, how Martin deftly set up each scene, and most of all, the immense strength in the unpredictability of the storyline; all proven clearly within this book. The myriad pivotal events that occurred in this single installment were simply insane and unforgettable. The Red Wedding, for example, is one of the most traumatizing events to ever transpired in a fantasy novel for me; it has pretty much become a standard of comparison for believable brutality and shocking scale in speculative fiction. “It wasn’t as crazy as The Red Wedding,” or “It was more traumatizing than The Red Wedding.” You probably have read or heard these phrases on reviews or on social media often—lately more so due to the super exposure caused by the TV shows; let me assure you that they’re there for many valid reasons. “It all goes back and back," Tyrion thought, "to our mothers and fathers and theirs before them. We are puppets dancing on the strings of those who came before us, and one day our own children will take up our strings and dance in our steads.” At 424k words—it took me about 23 hours to read—in total, A Storm of Swords has become the third biggest novel I’ve read so far after The Stand by Stephen King and Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. It’s truly astounding that there were close to zero dull moments in a novel this massive; I didn’t really enjoy Bran’s storyline, but his appearances here were relatively small. Excluding Bran’s story, I was completely immersed, and I was in love with every page I read. Martin sang a song of violence, grief, and treachery with spellbinding impacts; the writing was thoroughly engaging, filled with a plethora of memorable passages, and the phrases were cleverly structured to be evocative. “The greatest fools are ofttimes more clever than the men who laugh at them.” Excluding the fame he gets from the TV series adaptation, if you’re ever in need of evident proofs on why George R. R. Martin has become one of the most legendary fantasy authors of our time, A Storm of Swords is the answer. The series indeed remains unfinished to this day, and there’s a chance it might not ever be finished, but I utterly believe that the series is worth your time despite that. The first three books—especially this one—in A Song of Ice and Fire provided an exceptional reading experience that epic fantasy readers should gain. I unquestionably loved A Storm of Swords. I'm giving this tome a full 5 stars rating, and I'm extremely confident it would've earned one of those ultra-rare 6 out of 5 stars rating from me if I'd read it without watching the TV series adaptation first. I expect I will end up loving A Storm of Swords more on future subsequent reread. This is truly a phenomenal magnum opus. Do yourself a favor. Read it, simple as that. You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Michelle, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 24, 2019
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Jan 29, 2019
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Aug 13, 2018
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
0008363749
| 9780008363741
| 0008363749
| 4.42
| 955,805
| Nov 16, 1998
| Nov 14, 2019
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really liked it
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4.5/5 stars A Clash of Kings was a brilliant sequel that brought the spotlight of the series to one of the most well-written characters in fantasy: Tyr 4.5/5 stars A Clash of Kings was a brilliant sequel that brought the spotlight of the series to one of the most well-written characters in fantasy: Tyrion Lannister. A Clash of Kings is the second book in A Song of Ice and Fire saga by George R. R. Martin. The main story in this sequel mainly revolves around the multiple kings of Westeros battling in full force for the right to sit in the Iron Throne. This, however, is just scratching the surface of the story. Martin built upon everything he has established in the first wonderfully and with that, the scale of the story has become much bigger than before that I found it quite a difficult task to review this tome without spoiling anything, but spoiler-free review as always it is. Just like my review on A Game of Thrones, I’ll be doing some qualities comparison between the book and its TV series (Season 2) adaptation. Picture: A Clash of Kings by Marc Simonetti [image] Continuing immediately from where the story left off in the previous book, Martin implemented a lot of incredible elements into the story such as shifting alliance, utterly engaging politics, intricate world-building expansion, and most importantly, compelling morally grey characters. There were new POV characters introduced in this installment and a lot of great character developments imbued. Although a lot of events happened in this book, this doesn’t mean that A Clash of Kings was a fast-paced read, honestly I found it even slower than its predecessor. Regarding pacing, in my opinion the TV series offered a better experience. However, unlike the first season where it pretty much adapted the book scene by scene, there were a few changes done for the second season of the TV series; some for better, some for worse, but overall I still think that the TV series did a spectacular job once again on adapting another installment of this series for the wider audience. “There's no shame in fear, my father told me, what matters is how we face it.” The devil lies in the details, and Martin delivered intricacies not only on world-building but on every aspect of the book/series. I can make this review longer than it should be by talking about each character’s merits and cons to highlight Martin’s awesome characterizations, but I’ll refrain from doing that here and instead focus on one main character, Tyrion Lannister. “People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up.” It doesn’t matter whether it’s the book or the TV shows, Tyrion Lannister is my favorite character of the series and having finally read the two books of the original material, I can already vouch that he’s one of the most well-written characters in fantasy. He’s witty, cunning, smart, and despite all the physical disabilities he has as a dwarf, he never gives up and knows how to use the one thing he’s best with: his brain. Reading the book, I can feel that Martin had a lot of fun writing his character. Martin’s characterizations in this book shined the most when Tyrion’s POV came to play and luckily there were a lot of them. Don’t get me wrong, many of the other characters and events were crucial in making this book as good as it was, but overall, more than anything, I genuinely think that A Clash of Kings is a magnificent book about Tyrion Lannister and if you love his character as much as I do, you’re most likely going to have a good time reading this worthy sequel. Also, I personally think Peter Dinklage did a super terrific job in portraying this complex character, and it has been repeatedly proven as the series progressed. “When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say.” World-building wise, the novel provides insights into more magic and setting of the series. Martin is an amazing world-builder, it gets even more evident the more I progress through the series. The politics of King’s Landings were meticulously written, the dialogue between characters was immensely enjoyable, and the world he created is brimming with mysteries and revelations; they all made up for the slow pacing of the tome. There was only one big action piece happening within this book, The Battle of the Blackwater that happened at the final section of the book. Action sequences aren’t really Martin’s strongest talent as an author, The Battle of the Blackwater was the only big action sequence and it happened for more or less 50 pages; that’s out the two books (1,800+ pages) I’ve read so far combined. However, the battle itself was finely written. Martin’s prose has a strong immersion and vivid power that during this battle, the frantic situation, the swirling flame, the madness of the river, the vanishing of the deck, and the chaos were so easily imagined in my head. “So many vows... they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It’s too much. No matter what you do, you’re forsaking one vow or the other.” Admittedly, there were a few sections of the book that were simply too slow. I’m speaking specifically on Bran’s POV, which I found to be extremely boring. Remember, I’m reviewing this based on my experience as a first-time reader of the series who watched the TV shows first; I already know the major plot twists and events happening within the series. Because of this, Bran’s POV probably ended up becoming even more boring than it should be. “He who hurries through life hurries to his grave.” Although I loved A Game of Thrones more, safe for a few hiccups in pacing, A Clash of Kings is a worthy sequel that expands the world, histories, characterizations, and conflicts of the series fantastically. I truly enjoyed reading this one, and I have no doubt that I will enjoy the next one too. It goes without saying that I highly recommend this series to epic fantasy reader. You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 15, 2019
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Jan 19, 2019
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Aug 13, 2018
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Hardcover
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0008228566
| 9780008228569
| 0008228566
| 4.44
| 2,546,324
| Aug 06, 1996
| Jan 01, 2015
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it was amazing
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A totally magnificent start to a seminal epic fantasy series. If you love watching the first season of Game of Thrones, you’re most likely going to lo
A totally magnificent start to a seminal epic fantasy series. If you love watching the first season of Game of Thrones, you’re most likely going to love reading A Game of Thrones. Like countless readers around the world, I probably wouldn’t have known about A Song of Ice and Fire without its TV series adaptation: Game of Thrones. I’ve been following the TV series since the release of its first episode; I was utterly captivated by the originality of the storyline and characters. Upon finishing the first season of the TV show, I immediately picked up A Game of Thrones, and honestly? I couldn’t finish it; I put it down about a quarter into the book. It wasn’t because the book was bad per se; it was because the TV show—at least the first season—did such a spectacular job of adapting the first installment of A Song of Ice and Fire. When my first entrance into a series is through a well-produced TV series/movies adaptation which I ended up loving, I often find the original material—usually novels—to be inferior because I already know how the main story will go down. It’s the biggest reason why I struggled to finish The Fellowship of the Ring, and unfortunately, it’s also the reason why I couldn’t finish A Game of Thrones back then. Fast forward to now, years have passed since my first attempt at reading A Game of Thrones. I’m finally able to finish it, and I also loved it so much; I craved for more by the end of it. “... a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” Was there even anything new with the book once you have watched the first season? Not so much. There’s Ned’s dream and the differences in character’s ages; the age of the characters—especially The Starks and Daenerys—in the novel shocked me because they’re so much younger than they’re portrayed in the TV show. Then there’s also the fact that the book has more intricate world-building and history explained; story-wise, almost everything else was the same. On Goodreads, during the time of writing this review, A Game of Thrones has about 50,000 reviews and almost 2,000,000 ratings; I doubt anything I say about it will add anything substantial to what’s been said before. I have watched all the episodes in TV shows, and I pretty much know what the general plotline of the main series is all about. But I’ll keep this review strictly narrowed to the reasons why—in my opinion—A Game of Thrones and the first season of the TV show reached its phenomenal fame. Picture: A Game of Thrones by Marc Simonetti [image] There’s immense strength in the unpredictability of Martin’s storytelling style. Martin is a storyteller that doesn’t follow the classic fantasy norm. A Song of Ice and Fire achieved something much greater instead; it has practically shaped modern fantasy. Sure, the series wouldn’t have reached its worldwide fame without the HBO adaptation of the series, but that doesn’t have any influence on the long-standing—and ever-growing—praises for the books. Just observe the amount of inaccurate “if you love Game of Thrones you will love this” or “George R. R. Martin/Game of Thrones meets whoever/whatever” blurbs invading the current fantasy market; they’re uncountable. “Bran thought about it. 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?' Personally speaking, Martin brought a lot of something refreshing to the fantasy genre. Instead of writing a high fantasy comprised of magical battles and creatures, Martin did the opposite; magic and fantastical beings were relatively minimal, and unbelievably, he successfully nailed it. A Game of Thrones is not a story of good versus evil; it depicted a realistically grim story where the characters were morally flawed, grey, and the evilest beings in the world may not be The Others or dragons, but human after all. The good doesn’t always win, and the bad could brutally triumph. Martin explored this deeply and brilliantly within the bloody dispute and politics over the Iron Throne—the seat of the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. “Why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when you high lords play your game of thrones?” In the battle for the throne, no one is safe, not even the virtuous ones; the good and honorable ones frequently suffer more. The sense of unpredictability and danger sparked from Martin’s freedom and bravery to hurt and kill off the crucial main characters in the series—after making his readers care for them—brought an intensity that can only be found in very few of my favorite fantasy series. And get this, the majority of these authors claimed Martin as one of their main inspirations. “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.” There’s this meme that has been spreading around the internet. This meme compared George R. R. Martin to Steven Erikson. Erikson himself has stated that he’s not competing with Martin with his fantasy, and I have no idea how this even became a meme in the first place. I’m talking about this picture: [image] I strongly disagree with this meme. Don’t get me wrong; Malazan Book of the Fallen is one of my top favorite series of all time. However, the main strength of the series—by far—doesn’t lie in its character’s death. Honestly speaking, by book 5 or 6 of Malazan Book of the Fallen, the impact of the character’s death in the series has decreased significantly. Sometimes, I even eye-rolled when he killed off a character in the second half of the series; Erikson had an obsession with this particular plot device, and I was proven right over and over again. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Martin is a brutal author; he’s merciless towards his characters. But more importantly, ANY of the characters he decided to kill off frequently resulted in a massive and jaw-dropping impact that heavily affect the character’s decision and storyline progression. “What is honor compared to a woman's love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms . . . or the memory of a brother's smile? Wind and words. Wind and words. We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy.” If you’ve watched the first season, is it still necessary to read the first installment of A Song of Ice and Fire? What exactly is the biggest reason to read A Game of Thrones after watching the first season of the TV show? I wouldn’t say that it’s required to do it, but you’re most likely going to love the reading experience, and you’ll also get more out of it as I did. I’ve said it at the beginning of this review, I’m a very critical person when it comes to experiencing the original material of an adaptation I truly loved. However, I was simply too immersed in this read, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of reading it. And it’s all due to Martin’s impeccable narrative, characterizations, and world-building. Picture: The Night’s Watch Oath by Didier Graffet [image] Character’s internal thoughts and world-building are two factors—from my perspective—that the TV show won’t be able to capture perfectly; they haven’t managed it to this day, and I doubt they will be able to with only one season left. Every character in the book was extremely well-developed. Although each new chapter always follows a different character’s POV than its previous one, all of them were superbly compelling and crucial to read. Reading A Game of Thrones brought a clearer and better understanding of the characterizations. That shouldn’t come as a surprise; they’re two different mediums of storytelling, and this is one of the main advantages of reading a novel than watching a movie/TV series. The nuances in the character’s thoughts, personalities, and motivations made them more human and believable. All POV chapters in A Game of Thrones were written efficiently and effectively. Martin colored his characters with distinctive voices terrifically that every single dialogue and action felt like an addictive dance of inspiring and memorable words. “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” The world-building was outstandingly intricate and immersive. A Song of Ice and Fire is a complex epic fantasy with multi-layered world-building; history upon history, accompanied with character’s connections that sprawled throughout the world. I mean it, if you’re not a fan of a massive fantasy world with detailed histories, politics, and many characters, you might want to prepare yourself before getting into this book. I do, however, believe that the complex and sprawling world that Martin created is somehow quite accessible to many fantasy readers. “A lord must learn that sometimes words can accomplish what swords cannot.” After you finished the novel, a realization will dawn that the main story and chaos have only just begun. A Game of Thrones is an absolutely stunning beginning to an incomplete legendary fantasy series. I’m seriously holding myself back here; the novel's strengths and why this book/series is so special and important for modern fantasy will need at least another thousand words to elaborate. But I doubt I need to; practically every fantasy reader these days knows about the existence of A Game of Thrones. The worldwide fame of this series speaks for itself already; quality stays. I recommend this novel with all my heart to every epic fantasy reader. The intricacies of the plot, characterizations, and world-building are worth your utmost attention; the maximum depth of them can only be achieved by reading the book, nowhere else. I feel like I’ve gotten to know the characters and world further after reading A Game of Thrones, and I’m undeniably excited to continue reading A Song of Ice and Fire. Currently, A Song of Ice and Fire remain frozen in an incomplete—most likely won’t ever be finished—status, but that doesn’t matter; reading this series is irresistible to me. Even if A Song of Ice and Fire doesn’t end up fully composed, I’m confident I’m happier to have read the series than not. That’s how incredible A Game of Thrones is. “The things I do for love.” Sidenote regarding the 20th Anniversary Illustrated Edition: The 20th Anniversary Illustrated Edition is freaking gorgeous, and its production value is high; no doubt about that. However, I strongly recommend you to read this edition only if you have watched the first season of the TV series or you’re on your reread. If you’re a newcomer to the story, I suggest reading the prose-only edition instead. This edition is beautiful; each chapter begins with a black and white illustration done by highly praised artists in the industry. I mean it, each art could’ve worked as a cover art due to its beauty and quality, even when most of the arts aren’t original to this edition. But this is also the main problem of this edition. Most of the art appeared at the start of a chapter, and they have a strong tendency of giving spoilers, or at least hints, of what’s to come in the particular chapter. Not to mention that a lot of the colored artworks are placed on the wrong page. An event happened in a chapter, but the colored artwork of that scene could appear in the next or previous chapter, which frankly just doesn’t make any sense. Because of all these, I think it would be best if a complete newcomer to the series read the text-only edition. Pictures: Two examples of Magali Villeneuve’s illustrations for A Game of Thrones: 20th Anniversary Illustrated Edition. Pictures are taken from her Twitter account and official website. [image] [image] You can order the book from: Blackwells (Free International shipping) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Element, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Jennifer, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Shaad, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 05, 2019
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Jan 08, 2019
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Aug 10, 2018
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Hardcover
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147321484X
| 9781473214842
| 147321484X
| 4.21
| 5,640
| Sep 20, 2018
| Sep 20, 2018
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it was amazing
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ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review. Wooding strikes a magnificently fine balance between classic epic fantasy and ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review. Wooding strikes a magnificently fine balance between classic epic fantasy and grimdark fantasy, making this an amazing start to a new trilogy. To be honest, I feel like the love for classic fantasy has started to dwindle these days. It seems like readers thirst for grimdark or fantasy with darker tones more often lately; the fame of Game of Thrones TV show is probably responsible for this. This isn’t actually a bad thing, and I have to say that I kind of feel the same. My reasoning is that classic fantasy is starting to feel too familiar sometimes; many classic fantasy novels followed the same good versus evil structure that’s getting more predictable. Reading classic fantasy now, in my opinion, is like coming home to something incredibly well known; it’s always comfortable, and you’re highly familiar with it. Readers, however, will always want new adventures as well, something unpredictable and fresh, not the same type of adventures they’ve already experienced time and time again. This is where The Ember Blade comes in, and it will change your mind. The Ember Blade is indeed a love letter to classic epic fantasy, but it’s filled with morally grey characters and characterizations that dominate the grimdark sub-genre. Wooding has successfully created a brilliant fusion within this book. Imagine coming home expecting familiar comfort, and pleasant surprises are waiting for you; you open your fridge, then you crack an egg, and you get two egg yolks instead of one. To me, that’s how it felt reading this book. “Every day, a person should learn something, experience something, do something that left them changed, even in a small way.” The Ember Blade storyline started as greatly inspired by typical classic fantasy tropes, with two teenage boys—Aren and Cade—encountering an event that would soon change their lives forever. However, I can guarantee you that 10% into the novel, you’ll realize that the story starts to diverge from the norm, and it keeps on getting better. It was gripping, well-paced, and unpredictable. The first half of the novel was full of dangers for the main characters, and honestly speaking, I’m usually not a fan of this kind of storytelling structure. I tend to prefer characterizations first and dangers later. Yes, I don’t mind how slow-paced a book is; I simply need to care about the characters first and foremost. And this is why I’m delightfully surprised by Wooding’s storytelling style. Although he placed his characters in so much danger in the first half of the book, the crucial characterizations that sparked my empathy for the character’s predicament were never neglected. Where the first half focused majorly on Aren and Cade, the second half of the book slowed down the pacing by expanding the cast and introducing a more detailed plus well-executed multi-perspective narration; the result is EVERY single character’s POV became so compelling to read. There were a few scenes—when the characters were in Skavengard—which went a bit too long for me due to the lack of familiarity with the new set of characters introduced there, but the second half of the book made up for this minor issue masterfully. I haven’t read any of Wooding’s books before this, but if his characterizations were all as good as the one displayed in The Ember Blade, then I’ll have to make sure to read his preceding series. Characterizations always make or break any book for me, and what I’ve read here definitely elevated the book for me. The character’s fluctuating emotions and motivations were palpable; they were realistic, nuanced, and complex. The quality of the plot shines further because the grimdark element ensured that none of the characters were predictable. I mean it, these characters, especially ALL the characters with a POV, were incredibly believable. As good or bad as they may seem, they all have their own problems and agendas that drive their actions. The morally grey characters produced an utterly gripping narrative because it was difficult to guess what the characters would do. The execution of a situation where we—the readers—know a character’s backgrounds, thoughts, and secrets—while the other character didn’t—was sublime. “To speak from the heart required more bravery than any physical risk. To heal a wound was so much harder than to cause one.” Although the characters did questionable things at times, this doesn’t mean that it was hard to love them. It felt effortless for me to get attached to the characters. Aren, Cade, Grub, Garric, and more were characters I’m invested in. The way I perceived the themes, Wooding placed the weightiest value on found family, friendship, and honor; the brotherhood between Aren and Cade, for one, was one of the strongest driving strengths of the storyline for me. Wooding undoubtedly knows how to create tensions through dangerous circumstances that constantly keep the reader thinking: “Will they come back from this?” or “Will he/she do it?” His prose was accessible, engaging, cinematic, and immersive; I couldn’t be happier with it. “A friendship of half a lifetime shouldn’t be broken by a few harsh words.” Let me say once more The Ember Blade is not a grimdark novel. It’s a classic epic fantasy told in a modern narrative; a relative morally grey characterization aspect from the grimdark subgenre was added to it, but the tone of the book itself was never bleak. The characters do live in a grim and oppressive world, but the themes of hope, kindness, love, friendship, plus the grand adventure often evident in our beloved classic fantasy were always there to balance things out. “In her lessons, as in life, they’d often find themselves dealt a hand that was less than fair. She’d teach them to overcome a disadvantage any way they could.” From the excellent characterizations to the relentless chase, from breathtaking set pieces to the intricate world-building, everything was written with finesse. It seriously doesn’t matter whether you’re a fan of classic, epic, or grimdark fantasy (even better if all three), there’s a place for you here. The Ember Blade is a book every fantasy fan will feel right at home with, and yet will find new adventures in it. It's a book that fantasy readers will love to revisit and inhabit longer and longer with every visit. The Ember Blade is an epic fantasy forged to stand the test of time, and I sincerely hope you'll wield the blade yourself. The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. Official release date: 20th September 2018 You can pre-order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) | The Broken Binding (Use my code: NOVELNOTIONS121 for discount!) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Wendy, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Feb 2023
Jul 12, 2018
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Feb 09, 2023
Jul 17, 2018
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Jul 07, 2018
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Hardcover
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0356514080
| 9780356514086
| 0356514080
| 3.84
| 1,804
| Jun 07, 2018
| Jun 25, 2020
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it was amazing
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A new gale of hope for self-published fantasy blows with all its might as Devin Madson summons a new triumphant tornado in We Ride the Storm. Open up y A new gale of hope for self-published fantasy blows with all its might as Devin Madson summons a new triumphant tornado in We Ride the Storm. Open up your thesaurus and look up the word “underrated.” Devin Madson’s name truly belongs there. I bloody loved this book, even more than all of Madson’s previous works which were great themselves. You can check my review history and you’ll see that for self-published/indie books that I've read and reviewed so far, I’ve given a full 5 stars rating (without rounding up on Goodreads) to literally only one book, The Mirror's Truth by Michael R. Fletcher. We Ride the Storm is the second occurrence. We Ride the Storm is the first book in Madson’s newest series, The Reborn Empire. It takes place more than a decade after the end of Madson’s previous trilogy, The Vengeance Trilogy. The story this time felt more epic in both scope and tone and it was infused with efficient storytelling and addictive pacing that never neglects crucial characterizations. The first chapter immediately introduced us to the Levanti culture and their method of equality in honoring the dead in the name of their god, Nassus. The method? Decapitation of the head in the most vivid and intricate descriptions of the act that I’ve ever read. Madson has become a grim goddess of infusing palpable tension into the scenes within each chapter. I’m serious, every page was fantastic to read and brilliantly paced. Almost every chapter was well-structured and given its own start, middle, and climax sequences, which made every sentence a constant propulsion to continue reading. Every single chapter has important scenes that function as a fuel that pumped adrenaline through my blood. “Even the smallest cog is important in the workings of a clock.” The magic system from Madson’s Vengeance Trilogy—Empathy—didn’t play a role here but my empathy towards the characters was real; I was trapped in a turbulence of feelings and I enjoyed every moment of it. The emotions imbued into these pages can truly be felt and the circumstances forced upon the characters truly made me care about their journey, which is the most dominant sign of a fantastic book for me. When the characters’ actions truly make me grit my teeth and drop my jaw several times, it’s a sign that I’m drowning in a maelstrom of marvelous pages and I don’t want any lifeguard to save me. Madson achieved this result by making sure that the characterizations were extremely well-written. I thought it would be hard to move on from the characters in the previous trilogy but I was proven wrong immediately. Starting from the first three chapters, I actually enjoyed reading the new set of characters’ POV even more than those before. Same as Madson’s previous trilogy, the story was told from three characters—Rah, Cassandra, and Miko—perspectives in first person storytelling narrative. Despite being told in first person narrative, all three of them have highly distinct inner voices and cultures. I thoroughly loved reading each characters’ perspectives; they all hold the same crucial and prominent weight in helping the book to reach its peak level of greatness. However, my favorite characters were definitely Rah e’Torin and Miko. Rah e’Torin, the leader of the Second Swords of Torin, has an inspiring code of honor that tells a story of survival. After being exiled, Rah and his herd of Swords have been forced to act against their codes in order to survive in a foreign land. I absolutely love Rah’s POV; all of Madson’s characters have a grey moral compass but Rah is the only protagonist that has a truly good moral compass, despite the gruesome actions he had to do. He was like a light in the darkness of Madson’s world. Not that I mind the bleak and the grim tone, I adore them actually, but Rah (and Miko) did bring a new complexity and some positive aspects to the book that were not present in the Madson’s previous works, they give the readers someone truly worth rooting for in her series. “We are the Swords that hunt so your hands may be clean. We are the Swords that kill so your soul may be light. We are the Swords that die so you may live.” I have no doubt the book will be well-received by a lot of readers. But for me personally, the book reached a new level of quality because I had already lived through the world-building and histories of the book because I have read all of Madson's prior works already; the result was tremendously impactful in enhancing my experience reading this book, especially during Miko's POV. Her POV was filled with massive bonuses and homage for anyone who has read Madson’s previous books. This doesn’t mean that you have to read them to understand but it would absolutely be beneficial in enriching your experience. Not only did a lot of familiar faces and names make an appearance, but for instance, there was also one character's farewell scene in the book that simply won’t be as significant and poignant if the reader hasn’t read The Vengeance Trilogy. As for Miko herself as a character, she’s such an empowering female character. Unlike Hana from the previous series, I found Miko to be non-infuriating and a much more engaging character to read; I was truly invested in her struggles weaving through the court politics of Kisian Empire. In a place that’s heavily ruled by men, she simply won’t bow down and her gradual character development was truly spectacular, making her easily one of the best heroines I’ve ever come across in my fantasy reading. “Lesson number four. Sometimes those who seek to help you are the worst enemies of all.” Like a serrated blade that thrust its edges into my heart, threats and perpetual tensions were reflected not only in the battle scenes but also in the compelling dialogues. The last 100 pages of the book were a final gale of pulse-pounding rides and converging perspectives that solidified my reasoning to alternate my reading between traditionally published and self-published fantasy novels. When you've read a lot of the popular, highly-acclaimed adult epic fantasy, you'll probably notice that the majority of them are set in a Medieval European setting. I don't have a problem with the setting but it's always gratifying to find an incredible trilogy written by an author who is brave enough to stray from the popular setting. All of Madson’s books are powerfully Asian-inspired, taking a lot of inspiration from Feudal Japan. The setting and environment were utterly vivid and the prose made me feel like I was totally there inside the story. Madson’s prose has always been great, but here? It was even more meticulous and immersive than before. It astounds me how she keeps on getting better with each new installment. This book is definitely Madson at the peak of her career so far and I expect to see her improve even more in future installments. With every sentence she crafted, she displayed her wonderful skill as an author. For example, the way she utilized the effectiveness of the word “silence” and the deafening of sounds to create “A calm before the storm” or “sunshine after the rain” situations were absolutely first-class. The pacing between lulls and tense moments was masterfully executed to create several memorable scenes. Plus, the philosophical lessons on what it means to be a leader were profoundly relatable. “Do not make assumptions about things you know nothing about. An emperor serves his people. The day the people serve the emperor is the day the empire falls. Remember that, Miko, if nothing else. War profits no peasant.” I finished binge reading ALL Madson’s published works (four novels and one novella) within nine days and I must say, it currently is hands down the best experience I’ve ever had with self-published books. Being inside her imagination was a bloody and delightful experience and I can’t believe I don’t have any more books written by her. Now that I own and have finished everything written by her so far, I plan to do the same with every single of her future works. Usually, when people asked me to recommend top-notch female fantasy authors, I always recommend Robin Hobb, Rebecca Kuang, N.K. Jemisin, and Rachel Aaron. But now, I will definitely be putting Devin Madson on that list. Together with The Poppy War by Rebecca Kuang, Madson’s books currently sit at the top of my recommendation list for anyone who's looking for an impeccable Asian-inspired low-fantasy series. Also, none of Madson’s books received anything below a 4 stars rating from me, which I think speaks volumes for her work. Seeing that this book is also an entrant in this year’s SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off) competition held by Mark Lawrence, it’s only fair that I enlighten you with a few personal statistics before I close this review. I’m not a judge for the competition this year but based on my assessment, this book has a strong chance of becoming the champion or at least ending up in the final round’s top three. I’ve read the majority of the past top books and champions of the competition, and in my opinion We Ride the Storm triumphed over every single book and top contender I’ve read within the history of SPFBO; this is in fact the first full 5 stars rating I’ve ever given to a book that’s been entered into the competition. Luck is definitely a heavy factor in SPFBO but regardless of the result, I’m genuinely confident that this is a book that will win the hearts of many fans of the genre, as it has definitely won mine. Combined with the experience of reading her Vengeance Trilogy, We Ride the Storm has given me a whirlwind of emotional temerity to chant that Devin Madson deserves a crowning achievement not only for self-published fantasy but for the entire genre of character-driven grimdark fantasy. She has now become one of the very few indie authors whose careers I'm willing to follow. Bravo, Devin Madson, bravo. We Ride the Storm is a breathtakingly triumphant book. Not only is it one of the two best self-published fantasy I’ve ever read, it has become one of my favorite books of all time. This book is truly a serendipitous and glistening hidden gem oozing with brilliant cinematic set pieces and a gripping, evocative hurricane of emotions that constantly took my breath away. Buy it and read it as soon as possible. Thank me later. Picture: My copies of Devin Madson’s books. Look how gorgeous they are! [image] You can order the book HERE! You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 23, 2018
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Jul 24, 2018
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Jul 01, 2018
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Paperback
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055338368X
| 9780553383683
| 055338368X
| 4.40
| 39,575
| Oct 20, 1998
| Sep 27, 2005
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it was amazing
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One of the two best standalone books that I’ve ever read so far; this is truly historical fiction at its finest. Lancelot by Giles Kristian was an amaz One of the two best standalone books that I’ve ever read so far; this is truly historical fiction at its finest. Lancelot by Giles Kristian was an amazing standalone and now, I’ve found Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. I’m starting to feel that historical fiction is the right genre to visit when I’m looking for amazing standalone books. In my opinion, both Lancelot and Gates of Fire achieved what I think at this point is impossible to find in SFF (my favorite genre) books: a standalone masterpiece. With fiery temerity, I’m not even afraid to claim these two as the best standalone books out of every genre I’ve ever read so far. I could try to tell you all the incredible building blocks that make up this book and warrant these high praises but believe me that I will fail. Let me instead try to constrict my review to two factors: the philosophical content and the prose. “The hardship of the exercises is intended less to strengthen the back than to toughen the mind. The Spartans say that any army may win while it still has its legs under it; the real test comes when all strength is fled and the men must produce victory on will alone.” If I’m not mistaken, Gates of Fire is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Reading list. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because the philosophical content in this book is simply a jaw-dropping, resonating masterpiece. I’ve never been a soldier or marine, and I sure as hell don’t want to become one; the fear that would come with enlisting would probably make me shit myself to death. I’m always disgusted at the atrocities that humans can do to each other in the times of war. Ironically, wars also bring into focus how amazing and inspiring humanity can be. This book counters the fear and terror of war with perseverance, strength, and flaming resilience. Despite not being a soldier, I do believe that there are tons of incredibly positive messages you can get from reading this book. For example, the Spartans’ valorous attitude in the face of dominance and tyranny is something that's truly worth adapting to your life. These results were possible only because of Pressfield’s usage of language. The prose was evocative and powerful, capable of igniting a variety of emotions. Pressfield also truly dived into the philosophy and psychology of the Spartans extremely well. Every word—even when they were info dumping—is imbued with a savage gravitational pull that utterly gripped me. Every scene was important in order to reach the culmination found in the final sections of the book, which was awe-inspiring. Pressfield’s portrayal on The Battle of Thermopylae captured the power and strength of the Spartans. Told in vivid details that seems to transport all your senses into the book, you’ll feel the battle, tragedy, doom, and hope unfolding right in front of your eyes. You won’t be able to stop reading about the savage nature of humanity as it inflicts devastation and the counter method employed by the Spartans. I’m serious, these Spartans in a phalanx formation were a combination of almost literal demigods; functioning together with the same beating heart to become a windmill of death and defending their compatriots while killing anyone who approached them. A kindling ember of hope was lit by the 300 Spartans from the battle that results in a deluge of blood in the gates of fire, turning flesh and blood into gifts for Hades. This battle eventually would become the turning point for a future victory against the Persians and I enjoyed every moment of reading this book. Picture: The Battle of Thermopylae [image] Suffice it to say that Gates of Fire has become one of the best escapism experiences I’ve ever had in my life. Don’t let the tragedy stop you from reading this book, because beneath the gores and battle, the nature of this book was hopeful and inspiring. There were myriads of incredibly positive messages in this book and I’ll definitely let them become a part of me as I move forward in my life. Read this book and adapt the Spartans’ unconquerable strength and wisdom. Read this book at the risk of being invigorated, and adapt the Spartans’ valorous attitude. Read this book when you want to defeat Phobos (fear) and know in the end that strength in camaraderie, love, and good leadership always have a lot of power to pull you out of tough situations. I’m closing this review with one quote about leadership, it’s a bit long but trust me that you won’t regret reading it. “A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men's loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them...A king does not expend his substance to enslave men, but by his conduct and example makes them free.” You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest ...more |
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1
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Jun 09, 2018
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Jun 10, 2018
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Jun 04, 2018
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Paperback
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0552174009
| 9780552174008
| 0552174009
| 4.22
| 3,671
| May 31, 2018
| May 02, 2019
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it was amazing
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I firmly believed that I would never experience another Arthurian novel as magnificent as Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles trilogy. I was wrong. I I firmly believed that I would never experience another Arthurian novel as magnificent as Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles trilogy. I was wrong. I’ll start my review by saying thank you to Robin Carter from Parmenion Books for recommending this book to me. Without him, I wouldn’t have known about this book at all. Seriously, other than his one-time recommendation, I literally never heard of or saw anything about this book anywhere else, and that’s seriously a sin because this is a brilliant book. If you’re into Arthurian Tale or historical fiction, this is a must-read. The Arthurian legend, as most of you know, has been reenacted countless times. It’s honestly one of my favorite tales out there but although I’ve experienced tons of stories inspired from this, they’re almost always in another medium besides novels. It wasn’t until last year after I finished reading The Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne that I found out about The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell; suffice it to say that I was completely mesmerized and it became the best Arthurian retelling I’ve ever experienced in any medium. Why am I saying all this? Lancelot is a book that’s as good as Cornwell’s take on the Arthurian tale. However, please do know that this is a very different book from Cornwell’s trilogy. Unlike Warlord Chronicles, Lancelot is a highly character driven book with minimum action sequences; it’s a character study about… well… Lancelot. No surprises there. Now, I don’t know about you but I can only speak from my experience. I have experienced a lot of Arthurian retellings and they’re all unique in their own way, but there’s one thing that stays the same: the story is always told from Arthur’s or his faction’s side. If this was another retelling about Arthur, there’s a chance I wouldn’t have picked this up. However, this is about Lancelot. Kristian brings a huge level of depth and characterization to Lancelot within this book. Telling the story exclusively from Lancelot’s POV, beginning from his childhood, makes him much more of a flawed and empathetic character. Here we see him not only as a betrayer but a true friend that is faced with the toughest of choices: friendship, loyalty, or love. I’ll admit that I was quite shocked by the prologue because the writing in that section is really not for me; I still have no idea what the prologue was supposed to mean, and the prose was too poetic for me. Luckily, once I’ve reached the 11% mark of the book, the flame of empathy inside my soul was lit. Lancelot became a character in whom I was fully invested; his love towards Guinevere, the friendship he formed with Arthur and many more aspects were all precious. Just take a look at this simple passage for example. Those of you who are familiar with the Arthurian tale will know just how much pain and complexity of feelings are imbued. “Arthur would fight for Britain. I would fight for Arthur. And Guinevere would always own my soul. The gods are cruel.” This line alone summed up precisely how complicated Lancelot’s feelings are in between choosing loyalty for Arthur or love for Guinevere. Kristian’s prose flows like a clear river with no obstructions. It was beautiful, enchanting, and lyrical. I have no idea if the fact that the author used to be in a boyband helps his prose or not, but I do know that every word was worth savoring. There are usually two kinds of books: one that fly by quickly and others that you have to savor. Both can and are amazing in their own way, but Lancelot is a book that fell in the latter category. Take your time with this scintillating piece of art. The grief, the agony, the tragedy, the love, let all of these seeps into your blood through the words. Savor them. In the end, you’ll be just as grateful as I’m feeling now. Thank you, Giles Kristian, for not giving up on writing this book despite the harsh circumstances you had to deal with during the time of writing. This is my first time reading your book, it certainly won’t be the last. May you rise like a hawk through all the difficult times ahead. Side note: Please read the author’s note at the end of the book. It may be short but it shows just how much heart and soul were poured into this book. Speaking of author’s notes, maybe it was destiny for me to read this book because it was written on my birthday this year. :p You can order the book HERE! You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 04, 2018
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Jun 06, 2018
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Jun 04, 2018
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Paperback
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0356510360
| 9780356510361
| 0356510360
| 4.57
| 69,025
| Mar 26, 2019
| Jan 23, 2020
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really liked it
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I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo 4.5/5 stars Wow. I take back what I said before. Tiamat’s Wrath surpass I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo 4.5/5 stars Wow. I take back what I said before. Tiamat’s Wrath surpassed Caliban’s War and Nemesis Games as the best installment of the series so far. “Distributed responsibility is the problem. One person gives the order, another carries it out. One can say they didn’t pull the trigger, the other that they were just doing what they were told, and everyone lets themselves off the hook.” I'm finally caught up with the series. Tiamat’s Wrath is the eight and penultimate volume of The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey. And of course, it’s just my damn luck that out of all the books in the series that I’ve read, this was the only one that made me WANT to immediately read the next volume, and it’s not available yet. Seriously, though, Tiamat’s Wrath was amazing. I think the biggest reason why this one worked so well is that finally, Corey has started to put the narrative on a pedal to the metal. The first sentence of Tiamat’s Wrath sets the tone and implication right from the start that this book will be destructive, and they’re delivered with calculative precision. The pacing was wonderfully addictive, the tension never lets up, and the emotion of the characters was portrayed incredibly well. “But pacifism only works when your enemy has a conscience.” It is odd that, somehow, Tiamat’s Wrath managed to become my favorite book of the series so far. I have voiced my complaint several times throughout my reviews of the series that I have issues with having to read non-Rocinante’s crew POV chapters. Thankfully, the two non-Rocinante’s crew POV here—Teresa and this character from Cibola Burn—were so well-written and compelling. This is magnificent, I knew I loved Cibola Burn for a good reason. As for the crew of the Rocinante, they continue to be the burning force of the narrative. I loved these characters; so much has happened, and Tiamat’s Wrath shows how decades of being together meant for these characters. This was what I wanted from Persepolis Rising, and I’m glad I get it here. There’s so much heart, longing, and loneliness. Even though Holden only has two short POV chapters, Corey was able to make sure that the other characters will be able to shoulder the weight of the story. “There are people I love. There are people who have loved me. I fought for what I believed, protected those I could, and stood my ground against the encroaching darkness. Good enough.” Now, I also have no idea whether it’s because I’m in the middle of watching the TV series adaptation or not, but for the first time in my experience of reading the books, I REALLY could imagine the space-warfare from the prose. I didn’t realize how much trouble I had with imagining the space-warfare in this series until I actually watched the TV show and wondered: “Did I even read this scene?” This happened several times. But not with Tiamat’s Wrath. There was so much adrenaline rush, and the badass Valkyrie scene (only readers who’ve read this book will understand what I mean here) was most likely the best scene of the entire series so far. “You take care of your tools, your tools take care of you.” To avoid spoilers for the series, I will have to make this review much shorter than usual. Seriously, almost everything inside this book can be considered a spoiler for the previous books in the series. However, I hope my point on the quality of this installment has been delivered successfully in this review. To put it simply, Tiamat’s Wrath is The Expanse at its maximum height, and I’m very curious to find out whether the final volume, Leviathan Falls, will be able to top this one. You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) | Bookshop (Support Local Bookstores!) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Michelle, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 28, 2020
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Oct 31, 2020
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May 29, 2018
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Paperback
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0356510530
| 9780356510538
| 0356510530
| 4.41
| 37,605
| Jul 23, 2019
| Jul 25, 2019
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it was amazing
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I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review. I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review. Absolutely amazing; Jade War was a brilliantly compelling sequel filled with skillfully-written characterizations and tension-packed action scenes. I read this novel with four other readers of different ethnicity—TS, Emma, Jenia, and Nils—living in different parts of the world, and all of us pretty much agreed that we were in love with—and terrified by—the events in Jade War. It’s satisfying and astonishing that Lee was able to successfully create a sequel as good as this. Jade War topped all the stunning quality in Jade City, which has won many readers’ hearts and the World Fantasy Award trophy last year. But Fonda Lee did it spectacularly. Again, Jade War was unbelievably better than the first book. The fantasy genre needs more urban high fantasy as refreshing and great as this series. The story in Jade War takes place sixteen months after the end of Jade City. The official blurb on Goodreads and Amazon did a wonderful job of explaining the premise without spoiling any of the main events; read those if you want to know more about the general plot. Jade War took every factor of importance firmly established in the first book into account and Lee expanded upon them deftly. On my first read, Jade City took a bit of time—around 100 pages—for me to become comfortable and attached with; Jade War flowed naturally with no dull moments from the first page until the last. All scenes in this novel just felt necessary and crucial; the plot points that I loved from the first book—such as a deadly clan war, engaging dialogues, and now, international politics, too—not only existed but were improved further. Jade War also follows in the footsteps of the first book by making sure that the main themes of love, family, honor, and duty were evident in the narrative. Fiercer, more ambitious, and bigger in scope, the events that occurred in Jade City subtly enhanced the looming tension hanging around behind the shadows of the characters. Lee gradually and continuously escalates the stakes that the characters encounter; the last 150 pages of the book comprised an unputdownable finale that can frankly be described as every single shit hitting the tornado. “People are born selfish; babies are the most selfish creatures, even though they’re helpless and wouldn’t survive a day on their own. Growing up and losing that selfishness—that’s what civilization is, that’s what sets us above beasts. If someone harms my brother, they harm me—that’s what our clan oaths are about. Those men weren’t your enemies—they were our enemies.” Recently, I’ve been having a bad streak of luck in reading SFF books; many of them do have awesome action scenes and original world-building, but they miss one feature that matters most to me, stupendous characterizations. I’ve written more than 300 reviews now, and I’ve repeated this so many times already, but I simply can’t enjoy a book if I don’t feel invested with the characters. Fortunately, Lee belongs in a type of storyteller that prioritizes her characters and characterizations. Since the first book, I felt truly invested in the characters’ journeys; it’s crystal clear that Lee understands and knows her characters incredibly well. For example, we know it’s inevitable that Hilo, being in his position, would have to do some questionable actions, and my god, he did. Even then, I was still able to understand why he did these things, and the good side of him that genuinely cares about his family compelled me to care further about him. “The clan was not just people and jade and money. It was an idea, a legacy that connected the pats with the present and the future. The family’s strength was a promise.” Every character’s actions in Jade War always have weight and comprehensible motivation behind them. Lee has created an exceptionally well-written cast of characters that’s so bloody compelling, complex, tangibly realistic, and easy to get attached to. There wasn’t a single moment where the characters felt like they behaved outside of their personalities, and the internal conflicts they had were all valid and empathizing. These are the kind of things that, in my opinion, separate the good and the great SFF authors from each other and Lee definitely belongs in the latter group. I also need to mention that within the cast of characters, the female characters—Shae and Wen—of this series were hands down some of the best female characters I’ve ever read in fantasy. “If you’re not sure you’re in love, then you’re not.” This, of course, doesn’t mean that characterizations were the only great thing Jade War; Lee’s tremendous actions and intricate world-building are back and strong as ever, too. They go hand in hand; the characters and the terrific characterizations served to improve the sense of danger and immersion behind the battle scenes and fully-realized world-building. Jade War doesn’t take place solely in Kekkon, one look at the maps in this book, and you will immediately realize this is a much larger and ambitious sequel compared to its predecessor. The inclusion of Shotar and Espenia, to name a few, made the series more complex than before, and yet, it’s still impressively accessible. “Out of small resentments, spring great wars.” Lee once again astounded me with her fantastic blend of martial arts and jade magic; the clan wars provoked by each faction led to ignitions of violence that’s doubly gripping and memorable. The action sequences were utterly stylish and breathtaking. I have to give a round of applause to the duel featured in this installment; it was pulse-pounding, full of energy, menace, and ominous atmosphere. The crescent slash left by the clean moon blades detonated a frightening quality of explosion that quickened the beating of my heart. I mean it, the duel scene and the climax sequences exhibited in this installment were brimming with vivid imagery and perceptible intensity. Take the last battle in Jade City, and increase that threefold, then you will have a notion of the crushing strength poured into the global jade war. I honestly can’t wait to read how Lee will improve her cinematic set pieces in the next—the last—installment of the series. “All that mortals could do was accept the lot they were given, and yet still fight to better their own fate and that of their loved ones.” I’m gratified and impressed by the gangster fantasy series I’ve read this year; Priest of Lies by Peter McLean is included in one of my favorite reads of the year so far, and now Jade War joins the list as well. Jade War is urban epic fantasy at its best, and Lee has cemented The Green Bone Saga as one of my favorite ongoing series with a groundbreaking impact. Do not miss reading this incredible book and series at all costs. The No Peak Clan awaits your enlistment in the Jade War. If you haven’t read Jade City, what are you waiting for? On my honor, my life, and my jade, this is a magnificent example of urban high fantasy of the highest tier. The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master; let the gods recognize me as a clan loyalist who has stamped Jade War as one of the best books published in 2019. Official release date: July 25th, 2019 (UK) and July 23rd, 2019 (US) You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Blackwells (Free International shipping) The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Element, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Hunter, Jimmy Nutts, Jennifer, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Neeraja, Nicholas, ReignBro, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Shaad, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Oct 02, 2021
Jul 10, 2019
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Oct 06, 2021
Jul 13, 2019
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May 27, 2018
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Paperback
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0356510514
| 9780356510514
| 0356510514
| 4.09
| 75,011
| Nov 07, 2017
| Jun 28, 2018
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it was amazing
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Incredible, the multiple nominees and awards this book has won are all well deserved. Jade City is the first book in The Green Bone Saga, and it is als Incredible, the multiple nominees and awards this book has won are all well deserved. Jade City is the first book in The Green Bone Saga, and it is also Fonda Lee’s adult fantasy debut. Ever since I knew about the existence of this novel, it has always been a book I wanted to read. As usual, the unbeatable TBR pile delayed me, and I was so sure that I won’t be getting into this one until next year. However, after seeing the non-stop praises that Fonda Lee and the book constantly received, as an Asian and avid adult fantasy reader, I knew that I couldn’t delay this any longer. I’m really happy that I gave this a read now, I’ve been craving a fantastic Asian-inspired fantasy lately, and Jade City delivered a spectacular Asian-inspired urban fantasy debut. “Any old horse will run when it's whipped, but only fast enough to avoid the whipping," Hilo said. "Racehorses, though, they run because they look at the horse on their left, they look at the one on their right, and they think, No way am I second to these fuckers.” If you want to know what the general plot of the book is about, read the synopsis on Goodreads or Amazon; it’s completely spoiler-free, and I won’t be bothering you with my unnecessary paraphrasing of the plot description. Jade City is a brilliantly imagined urban high fantasy. Growing up as an Asian in a Chinese household, it’s practically impossible to not watch Asian gangster or martial arts movies with the family. This novel reminded me a lot of my love for those movies, in an even superior way. On my first read, it did take me a while before I was fully engaged with the narrative. If you’re reading the book for the first time, and at first you feel the same as I did, be patient. Trust me, it’s worth it. The first 31% of the book was the calm before the storm. Once the story went past the first interlude, the storm of blood and tension compelled me to continue reading non-stop. I immensely enjoyed reading Jade City. It was a fantastic read; the themes of honor, loyalty, wealth, power, greed, and family took the center stage in the narrative, and I can’t get enough of them. “Sometimes even the most loyal and devoted men make mistakes when they’re forced to make decisions under terrible circumstances.” There were some parts of the story that did feel slightly predictable, but predictability doesn’t immediately mean it’s a bad thing. A certain level of familiarity in storytelling structure can be a good thing, and it has been achieved here. Jade City has an immersive world-building that’s so distinct in the current fantasy market. Accompanied by a terrific combination of magic and martial arts, Lee’s engaging prose shine; the pacing and momentum building was constantly wonderful. And most importantly, Lee’s characterizations and dialogues were excellent. “Sometimes, Andy, the people you think you can count on, they let you down in a bad way, and that’s hard to take. But for the most part, you give a man something to live up to, you tell him he can be more than he is now, more than other people think he’ll ever be, and he’ll try his godsdamned best to make it true.” Fonda Lee’s characterizations were so masterful, and to think this is only the first book of the trilogy. Lan, Hilo, Shae, and Anden are the four main characters, and they’re all flawed, realistic, and easily relatable. Honestly, it’s not just the main characters, ALL the characters felt extremely well-written. During my time of reading Jade City, I didn’t realize when it occurred, but I was so immersed with the book that my perception of reality felt clouded; I forgot I was reading a book. Seriously, the characterizations and prose were that good; everything just clicked with me. Lee did an outstanding job in utilizing her characters to show the importance of honor. The character’s determination to put their family at the top of their priority—setting aside their differences—was admirable. Plus, I have to say that the interactions and relationships that the main characters have with each other were glowing brilliantly. Empathizing characters to care for will always be my utmost priority in my reading experience, and the characterizations in Jade City were simply stupendous. “Expectations are a funny thing,” Wen said. “When you’re born with them, you resent them, fight against them. When you’ve never been given any, you feel the lack of them your whole life.” Jade City deflected the notion I had that somehow the book won’t live up to my high expectation, but it managed to not only live up to it but exceeded it. Fonda Lee channeled palpable tensions into the deadly political machinations, the descent into the bloody conflicts, the typhoon of battles, and the dynamic interactions between characters; they were a sheer joy to read. With Jade City, Fonda Lee has created an adult fantasy debut that is up there with The Lies of Locke Lamora in quality and magnificence, and that’s not praises I easily hand out. I absolutely look forward to reading Jade War next year! You can order the book from: Blackwells (Free International shipping) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Element, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Jennifer, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Shaad, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Sep 06, 2021
Nov 08, 2018
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Sep 08, 2021
Nov 10, 2018
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May 27, 2018
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Paperback
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1524760366
| 9781524760366
| 1524760366
| 4.18
| 44,815
| Aug 21, 2018
| Aug 21, 2018
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really liked it
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4.5/5 stars Foundryside was an incredibly addictive and entertaining read from start to finish. I’m a recent fan of Robert Jackson Bennett’s books. Thre 4.5/5 stars Foundryside was an incredibly addictive and entertaining read from start to finish. I’m a recent fan of Robert Jackson Bennett’s books. Three months ago on the last week of May, I binged read his critically acclaimed trilogy, The Divine Cities, and it became one of my favorite trilogies of all time; I forced my friends and everyone I know to pushed the trilogy up their TBR immediately. Since finishing The Divine Cities, Foundryside, the first book in Bennett’s newest trilogy, immediately became one of my most awaited book of the year; I pre-ordered a hardcover (I usually order paperback) of the book because I can’t wait any longer and I want to give my support to the author as best as I could. Foundryside lived up to my high expectation and upon finishing it, I’m happy to say that Bennett has become the seventh author to be included in my 'favorite author' list. “All things have a value. Sometimes the value is paid in coin. Other times, it is paid in time and sweat. And finally, sometimes it is paid in blood. The passage above was taken from the first page of the book, and I had a really good feeling I’m going to enjoy this; I was proven right. The story in Foundryside began with a heist. Sancia Grado, the main protagonist, which is also a super talented thief, was sent to steal an artifact—without knowing its usage—in exchange for a large sum of money that could improve her the quality of her daily life. Out of curiosity, she opened the box and after that, the main plot truly starts with danger constantly coming after her; and she must give it her all to survive. The book was magnificently well-paced and I was completely engrossed by every single aspect of the novel. In fact, I read 350 pages of the book in a day and finished the remaining 150 pages the next day on a weekday; it was that addictive to read, and I found myself thinking about continuing every time I’m not reading it. A lot of factors contributed to how great the book was, but let me start by saying that the book was almost like a tribute to Brandon Sanderson's; my current favorite author of all time. And no, just because it felt similar doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. The main character, Sancia reminds me a lot of Vin (the main protagonist of Mistborn), which is a good thing because I consider Vin one of the best heroines ever to be written. Sancia, although still young, wasn’t written like the typical young main character, who does stupid things just because they’re young, or sometimes for no reason at all. While being young can make one do stupid things, it doesn’t make it’s enjoyable to read. This is why Sancia became such a great main character to follow. She’s smart, quick-witted, has a mysterious past, and she gets things done when she must. Most of all, she’s really well-written that I can’t help but be invested in her predicament. “One day I’ll live a life that doesn’t force me to make such cold-blooded decisions, she thought. But today is not that day.” It’s not only Sancia that was well-written; Bennett has always been wonderful in his characterizations, and he proved that once again by writing great, complex, and humorous supporting characters in the book to accompany Sancia, with easily accessible prose. Clef was one of the main keys to the success of the book and his past, secrets, and dynamic interaction with Sancia became one of the strongest driving force behind the narrative. The memorable characters, combined with the plot that revolved around sacrifice, innovation, survival, identities, and pulse-pounding heists turned the book from your normal fantasy read to one highly fascinating fast-paced fantasy book that never neglects the crucial characterizations. “Any given innovation that empowers the individual will inevitably come to empower the powerful much, much more.” Finally, I want to talk about the magic system, Scriving; the art of using coded commands to change or convince an object to behave differently from their purposes. Scriving contains a lot of similarity with the magic system of Forgery in Sanderson’s novella, The Emperor’s Soul, and this is another thing I appreciate. There were a few info dumps—a quite necessary one—in the earlier section of the book regarding the magic system but once you’re past that, everything became a fast-paced ride full of amazing and memorable scenes. I found the magic system to be a mixture of fantasy and science fiction; through Scriving, Bennett cleverly displayed the implication, for better or worse, of advanced innovation in technology and knowledge. Once a technology has become one of our daily necessities, imagine what would happen when you take that away. I'll try to give an example of something simple. What if social media doesn’t exist? This and many reviews most likely won’t see the light of day and authors/publishers will definitely have to resort to the old way of advertising: without Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for promotion. We didn’t get to see something like The Blink from The Divine Cities in this book, but we did see one or two moments where the improvement in technology was taken away and the result, as always, was devastating. I really enjoyed reading the themes in the story and Bennett knows how to portray the world-building gradually to his reader through the perspectives of his characters. Plus, I found the intricate magic system that combined magic and technology to be a great recipe for awesome action sequences, and believe me, Bennett delivered plenty of exhilarating ones that will keep you on the edge of your seat several times throughout the book. Foundryside was a fantastic beginning to a new trilogy, one that I immensely struggled to put down. I truly think that you will have a damn good time with this book if you consider yourself a fan of Robert Jackson Bennett’s or Brandon Sanderson’s works. I just finished this a few hours ago and I'm already dying for the sequel. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a fantasy with wonderful characterizations, fascinating premise, intricate magic system, and to all the fans of Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jackson Bennett books. You can order the book HERE! You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 02, 2018
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Sep 04, 2018
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May 05, 2018
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Hardcover
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B001NLL9IM
| 4.37
| 21,106
| Mar 24, 2009
| Mar 24, 2009
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it was amazing
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A seriously astounding piece of historical fiction that left me speechless in many ways. “We are not here to earn riches with a bow. The wolfA seriously astounding piece of historical fiction that left me speechless in many ways. “We are not here to earn riches with a bow. The wolf does not think of fine things, only that his pack is strong and no other wolf dares to cross his path. That is enough.” I can’t help but start this review by saying that I’m thoroughly impressed by Iggulden’s talent for the creation of this series. Genghis’ conquest on its own, even if they’re written or told in a textbook manner, are very attention-grabbing already, but Iggulden successfully elevated the quality of Genghis’ legend so that it became much more engaging and emotional. Genghis: Bones of the Hills is the third book in the Conqueror series, and it—along with the first installment—are my favorites in the series so far. In the previous book, the story focused on Genghis’ conquest of The Chin; this book centered on Genghis’ breathtaking conquest of the Arabs. I must remind you, this series—especially this book—isn’t for the weak of heart; the atrocities and devastations committed in this war were terrifying in every sense of the word. I’m talking about wars with casualties that reached more than hundreds of thousands of deaths; innocents were instantly marked for the afterlife just for living in the opposing city. Genghis: Bones of the Hills is a bleak, intense, and also bittersweet book; it’s heavily centered around war, death, loyalty, heritage, achievements, and what truly matters in life and what legacies will continue after death. “All men die, Genghis. All. Think what it means for a moment. None of us are remembered for more than one or two generations." He raised a hand as Genghis opened his mouth to speak again. "Oh, I know we chant the names of great khans by the fireside and the Chin have libraries running back for thousands of years. What of it? Do you think it matters to the dead that their names are read aloud? They don’t care, Genghis. They are gone. The only thing that matters is what they did while they were alive.” Two generations? Little did he know that Genghis’ and the story of his legacy will live on for 800 years and counting! I’m seriously surprised by how much I grew to care and know about these characters. They were real people that have passed away for a long time now, and despite knowing a bit about Genghis’ conquest, I didn’t know his—and many other characters’s—personality; Iggulden managed to give life, personality, and distinctive voices to the characters. Reading about how far they’ve come since the beginning of the first book was surprisingly poignant and at times, heartbreaking. This was especially evident for Genghis and his relationship with his family and commanders. Iggulden’s characterizations with his head-hopping narration were just outstanding; the family drama and conflict in every character’s relationship felt realistic and suspenseful because of the superb narrative. Without spoiling anything, I also want to state that every single storyline that revolves around Tsubodai and Jochi were some of the main highlights of the book for me. Plus, due to Genghis’ and Chagatai’s unfair treatment towards Jochi, Jochi became a great underdog character to root for. “Be careful of raising me too high, brother. I have no special strength, unless it is in choosing good men to follow me. The great lie of cities is that we are all too weak to stand against those who oppress us. All I have done is see through that lie. I always fight, Kachiun. Kings and shahs depend on people remaining sheep, too afraid to rise up. All I ever did was realize I can be a wolf to them.” The previous book, Genghis: Lords of the Bow was brutal; this book exceeded it in every possible way. Not only Iggulden increased the number of action scenes, but he also enhanced the quality of the scenes by making the events and battles he included in this book as accurate, deadly, and detailed as possible. The war against the Arabs was very vicious and ruthless; Iggulden weaved a story about war, vengeance, and the cycle of violence mercilessly. There’s simply no mercy here; the Mongols conquered as if they’re a passing storm that brought utter destruction to every single locale they visited, and they never stay still in one place. Genghis didn’t bring an army when he decided to conquer a city, what he brought to murder was an entire nation, and the retaliation that the Arabs countered with was almost equally destructive depending on which perspective you’re looking at. For those of you who are familiar with A Song of Ice Fire or Game of Thrones season 1, you’ll get to witness the infamous “Golden Crown” scene here. Considering that George R. R. Martin has said that Mongol was one of the inspirations for the Dothraki, I’m pretty sure that this war is the source of his inspiration for the particular scene. “Men always die in war. Their kings expect it. I want them to know that if they resist me, they are putting their hand in the mouth of a wolf. They will lose everything and they can expect no mercy… This is a hard land and the people are used to death. If I am to rule them, they must know that to face me is to be destroyed. They must be afraid, Chakahai. It is the only way.” Now that I’ve finished the book, I look back and I find myself shaken by the number of pivotal events (SO MANY) that happened in this 400+ pages installment; they’re exciting, thrilling, and astonishingly tension-packed. I honestly can’t decide whether I loved Genghis: Birth of an Empire or Genghis: Bones of the Hills more as a single installment; both were just amazing in a different way. I do know that Genghis: Bones of the Hills further maneuver Conqueror towards becoming my favorite historical fiction series of all time. The terrifying atrocities, unforgettable strengths, extraordinary tactics, and legendary conquest displayed in this book were all extremely well-told. Judging from where this book ends, it seems safe to call the remaining two books in the series the second part. I’ll take a one week break from reading this series and get back to it after I recover from being stunned by the incredible turn of events, but I eagerly look forward to reading the remaining of the series and fingers crossed it will be—at least nearly—as good as this book. You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 11, 2019
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Nov 13, 2019
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Feb 21, 2018
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Kindle Edition
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B000QBYERS
| 4.39
| 35,030
| May 01, 2007
| May 01, 2007
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it was amazing
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Unbelievably good; this marked the first time I finished reading Iggulden’s work, and it’s VERY promising that this will become one of my favorite ser
Unbelievably good; this marked the first time I finished reading Iggulden’s work, and it’s VERY promising that this will become one of my favorite series. Conn Iggulden isn’t exactly an unfamiliar name to me; despite the fact that he’s most well-known for his historical fiction works, Iggulden’s blurbs have been featured on some of my favorite fantasy books such as The Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne and The Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb, to name a few. For years I’ve been interested in reading his books, and from what I’ve gathered, his Conqueror series seems to be the most often regarded as his best works by his readers. And so here we are and my god, I seriously didn’t expect it to be this great. “Mongolia is an unforgiving land. The boy, Temujin, was never cruel, and there is no record of him ever taking pleasure from the destruction of his enemies, but he was capable of utter ruthlessness.” Genghis: Birth of an Empire, alternatively called Wolf of the Plains, is the first installment in Conn Iggulden’s Conqueror series. This is a historical fiction series about Genghis Khan’s rise to power and if I’m not mistaken, eventually leading to his death and legacy. Genghis Khan, born Temujin, has been dead for almost a thousand years now, and yet his story and legends still live on. As much as I’d love to say that I know about Genghis Khan, I have to admit that my knowledge about him only goes as far as his terrifying ruthlessness and legacy of conquest; I didn’t know about his birth, background, and what led to his legends. Birth of an Empire depicts Temujin’s coming-of-age story; Iggulden expertly shows the contrast between his childhood and his legends. I found Iggulden’s decision to start Temujin’s story from the time he was still twelve years old to be an incredibly clever choice. It was super engrossing, shocking and, interesting to read Temujin’s growth and developments. What I found to be very intriguing was although it’s true that the sign of Temujin’s tendency for ruthlessness appeared since he was a child, it was the harsh events, lessons, and circumstances forced upon him that shaped and forged that trait towards its maximum potential. “His childhood experiences created the man he would become, who would not bend or allow fear or weakness in any form. He cared nothing for possessions or wealth, only that his enemies fall.” I truly think that Iggulden’s excelled as his characterizations of Temujin and his family in this book, especially for his brothers and parents; they are all so well-fleshed out characters with a personality that’s distinctive from each other. As I’ve mentioned before, Temujin’s natural instinct lies in his strength, charisma, and ruthlessness; he’s simply a natural-born leader following the footsteps of his father: Yesugei. Then there’s Kashar and Kachiun the loyal one, Temuge the fearful, Bekter the devious, and Hoelun the strong mother who protects them all as best as she could. With such well-realized characters, Iggulden tells a story revolving around the theme of survival of the fittest superbly. Mongolia was an unforgiving land, both in deadly tribal rivalries and nature. Reading Temujin and his family trying their utmost best to survive was compelling; it’s unimaginable for me to put myself in their position. Seriously, they were dealing with extreme starvation in weather that’s extremely cold (-20 up to -40 degree Celcius.) Death walks with them every step of their way, and it nurtured their courage, strength, and camaraderie; they became the death bringer instead of letting the weight of injustice bringing them down. I loved reading about all of these; there’s something immensely inspiring in the physical and mental prowess they unleashed to deal with the harsh realities of their world. “Courage cannot be left like bones in a bag. It must be brought out and shown the light again and again, growing stronger each time. If you think it will keep for the times you need it, you are wrong. It is like any other part of your strength. If you ignore it, the bag will be empty when you need it most.” One important thing to note, and surprising to me, is that Iggulden utilized a head-hopping narrative to tell the multi-perspective narration. For those of you who don’t know, I hated this kind of storytelling style; I tend to find head-hopping confusing and distracting. However, Iggulden was tremendously skillful in implementing this narrative; I never felt lost and I was able to easily follow which character’s head I’m in. Not only the flow of the prose never disrupted by the head-hopping narrative, but I also found myself completely engrossed by every POV switch; it was entertaining to see Iggulden juggles the variety of characters perspectives and emotions in scenes that are full of tension and drama. Do remember, this almost never worked for me, the only other books where I found this style working for me was for Dune by Frank Herbert and Paternus by Dyrk Ashton, and if I may be honest, none of them did it as well as Iggulden in this book and hopefully series. “There was no bond stronger than that between those who have risked their lives in each other’s company.” Reread excluded, Genghis: Birth of an Empire ended up becoming my first full 5-stars rating in two months. Conqueror is often hailed as Iggulden’s best work, and although I’ve read only the first book, I can certainly understand why this has become a common consensus. Genghis: Birth of an Empire is a stunning piece of historical fiction that tells a gripping story about survival and a legendary figure’s rise to power. This book was about Temujin’s coming-of-age and his struggle in uniting Mongol; it seems like the next installment, Genghis: Lords of the Bow, will start telling Genghis’s spreading conquest as one of the most terrifying rulers of our history, and you bet I will be jumping into it immediately. “He had a vision of a nation. The incredible martial skills of the Mongol tribes had always been wasted against each other. From nothing, surrounded by enemies, Temujin rose to unite them all. What came next would shake the world.” You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 05, 2019
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Nov 07, 2019
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Feb 21, 2018
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Kindle Edition
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0008239843
| 9780008239848
| 0008239843
| 4.17
| 298,235
| May 01, 2018
| Oct 18, 2018
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it was amazing
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ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review. I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the yea ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review. I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year. No no, scratch that understatement. Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you a review for The Poppy War, a book that will go down as one of the best grimdark/military fantasy debuts of all time. Once in a while, there comes a book that you just know will be a fantastic book just from the premise or the cover; this was one of those books for me. I’ve been eyeing this book ever since I stumbled upon the gorgeous attention-grabbing cover by Jung Shan. (Seriously, check out her artworks. They’re incredible.) Reading that the book is highly inspired by Second Sino-Japanese War also the Rape of Nanking—please look this up if you don't know about it so you’ll have an idea of how dark the book will get—sparked my interest even more. However, although I had a good feeling about this debut, I certainly didn’t expect it to be THIS incredible. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that this is literally THE best grimdark/military fantasy debut I've ever read; even better than The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie or Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher, and this author only turns 21 years old this year! How awesomely talented is she!? Before I begin my long review, I will clarify that I’m an Asian and my review for this book will be affected by my experience growing up as one. Then, I need you to consider these two questions: 1. Do you enjoy or are you okay with reading books with a lot of violence? Because this book contains plenty of vividly brutal scenes. The author doesn’t pull any punches and the violence was handled splendidly, not only for the purpose of showing the horror and tragedy of war but also to let these scenes become a huge part of characters’ developments. 2. If the answer to question one is an absolute yes, I’ll ask you this: "are you ready for this book to go into your favorites of all time shelf?" because there’s an incredibly high chance that it WILL happen. The Poppy War is a debut by R.F. Kuang and it's a coming-of-age grimdark military fantasy. It's a book about empires, drugs, shamanism, and gods, and it's highly inspired by Second Sino-Japanese War, which is one of the darkest and bloodiest periods in Chinese history. I grew up learning about this war and it gave me great satisfaction to read an epic fantasy book inspired by it; one that was written exceptionally well, too. Considering the root of inspiration for the book, it's obvious that there will be a lot of allusions to China and Japan (I’ll get into them more later) and that this will be a violent book. This is not a YA book; there are a lot of scenes that are definitely only appropriate for adults to read and there are tons of content warnings (I’ll list them at the end of my review) in part III. This is also not a happy-go-lucky story to read. Also, this is literally the first time I’ve read a fantasy book written by a female author that doesn’t feature ANY romance in it. (Thank God!) “If there is a divine creator, some ultimate moral authority, then why do bad things happen to good people? And why would this deity create people at all, since people are such imperfect beings?” As a Chinese myself, I have my own reasons for believing that The Poppy War is an Asian inspired coming-of-age grimdark military fantasy done absolutely right with finesse. Part I (roughly 40%) of the book may lead you to think this will be strictly an epic/high fantasy with a complete focus on learning, but this isn’t really true. Yes, the story does start with our main character, Fang Runin (Rin), learning tons of skills and forming friendships in a military academy called Sinegard. However, the storyline immediately took a different approach and became a complete grimdark/military fantasy in Part II and III. This won’t be a situation like Kvothe from The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss where after two installments he’s still in the University (I love this series so much though). Story structure wise, this book actually reminds me a lot of Blood Song by Anthony Ryan (another of my favorite debuts of all time), where the first half revolves around the character in a battle school and the second half revolves more around war and battles. This book alone feels like a trilogy in itself due to the sheer amount of monumental events that take place. Kuang did what a lot of authors try to do in the scope of a trilogy within the span of ONE book. Kuang’s prose was easy to read, simple, and most importantly, VERY engaging. Her writing never gets in the way of her story and it was truly compelling to read. I need to give another reminder that part III in particular was filled with brutal scenes. These scenes are written exceptionally well; the author clearly shows the horrors of war and please do remember, like I said before, these scenes aren’t just there for the sake of making the book darker. The scenes are all there for the purpose of the story, characters development, and world building. In fact, this book just wouldn’t hold the same powerful impact without these scenes. The pacing was also brilliant. There wasn’t any chapter that bored me, none whatsoever. This is truly a story with a fine balance of heart, emotion, brutality, and action scenes that were only possible because of how magnificently written the author wrote all the characters, action sequences, and world-building. “Children ceased to be children when you put a sword in their hands. When you taught them to fight a war, then you armed them and put them on the front lines, they were not children anymore. They were soldiers.” Rin has seriously become one of the best female heroines I’ve ever had the chance to encounter. She’s a highly well-developed character, multi-faceted and simply kickass. Her rise from a mere peasant, oppressed and hated by everyone because of the color of her dark skin and her low status, to becoming what she has to be as the story progressed. This was one of the most well-written developments of a heroine or any character I’ve ever read. She makes brutally tough choices, she rises to any challenge that comes her way, and she never gives up. She’s fierce, she’s badass, and she demonstrates that being a strong woman character doesn’t only mean being physically powerful but mentally powerful, as well. Even though we see the story unfolds solely from Rin’s perspective in third person narration, the author does a fantastic job in making sure we’re really inside Rin’s head at all times. At one point, I actually forgot that I was reading the book in third person point of view as Rin’s character and personality were so well explored that I felt like her story was being told in first person POV. Besides that, all the other supporting characters' personalities were so well fleshed out because Part I was used VERY effectively to establish the characters’ introductions and world-building, making rooms for developments in the second half despite the story being in the middle of all the chaos. There’s always something new to discover on every page, and no words are wasted. No military fantasy will ever reach greatness without intricate war tactics or extraordinary action scenes, and this book simply scored wonderfully on both counts. Every action sequence, whether it’s the martial arts battle or the magic system, was vividly written. The scale and scope of the action relentlessly escalate with each page turned. The magic users in this book are called Shaman—those who commune with the Gods to use their power—and Kuang did a terrific job researching Shamanism. Coincidentally, during my time reading this book, I received an email from one of my favorite artists, Noah Bradley, on his new art piece for Magic: the Gathering and somehow, it completely fits some of the action scenes in this book. Check out this picture below to give you an idea of how wildly the action scenes escalated. Picture: Jaya’s Immolating Inferno by Noah Bradley [image] Lastly, I want to talk about the world-building. The history in the world of this book is filled with constant warfare, and this is also where the Asian influences really prevailed. There are TONS of Chinese and Asian influences in this book; I’m going to mention only a few of them here so you can experience the rest on your own: -The provinces in this book are named after the twelve Chinese Zodiacs. -The four cardinal mythological Gods are named exactly after the same Four Symbols of Chinese constellations creatures: the White Tiger of the West (Byakko), the Black Tortoise of the North (Genbu), the Azure Dragon of the East (Seiryu), and the Vermilion Bird of the South (Suzaku). -The creator of the military tactics book named Principles of War in the story is called Sunzi, obviously named after the famous Sun Tzu and his Art of War. -I’m a Buddhist (I think this is the first time I mention my religion in a review) and I’m pretty sure that Kuang used the name Bodhidharma intentionally to harken to Buddhism. In Buddhism, Bodhi means enlightenment and dharma means cosmic law. Considering the nature of Shamanism in this book, this naming and its meaning is very appropriate. -Ki derives from Qi/Chi which means life force. -Federation of Mugen, the name of the group of antagonists in this book, in Japanese means Infinite/Fantasy/Dream and they resembled the Japanese code of war where they are simply tools for the Emperor to use. -Just one look at the map and you’ll also know that the world is based on China and Japan. -Then there’s also talk of the legend of Monkey King from Journey to the West. Believe me, I’m holding myself back here; I’m pretty sure I found almost all the Asian influences in this book and I could talk about them in detail but I want you to experience them for yourself too. I spent four hours writing this review and it has been long enough already. In fact, this is actually my second longest review of all time. I really wish I could talk about how amazing this book is but I have to make sure my review is spoiler-free enough for readers to experience this debut with maximum results. You simply have to read and experience this greatness for yourself. The Poppy War is an astounding debut and one of the greatest starts to a series I’ve ever read. It’s a shining treasure of fantasy, literature, history, and culture. R.F. Kuang is truly a new author to watch. If this doesn’t become a one-hit wonder and she continues writing as her career, I have absolutely no doubt that her name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin, and maybe even better. I’m already waiting for the second book eagerly. I don’t even know how Kuang will top this debut; it’s a magnificently written debut that will stay in the heart of readers. By this point in my reviewing career, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to my followers that I’m quite stingy with giving a full five-star rating, but this book simply deserves a full five stars. The Poppy War is a book truly worth every second of your time. It’s a profound blending of history into military fantasy. It’s a relentlessly tension-packed book. Rin will capture your heart, embrace it. The Poppy will make you high, accept it. The War will break you, face it. The Poppy War will most likely be included in your favorite books of all-time list, get it. Come May, buy and read this superlative page turner immediately. This is the beginning for a new queen of fantasy and you should consider yourself damn lucky to have the chance to witness it. The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. Trigger Warnings: Rape, self-harm, drug abuse, genital mutilations, and many more. Basically, you name it and there's a chance it's here. Official release date: May 1st, 2018 (US) and May 3rd, 2018 (UK). You can pre-order the book HERE! You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 05, 2018
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Apr 08, 2018
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Jan 29, 2018
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Paperback
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1509812989
| 9781509812981
| 1509812989
| 4.35
| 8,722
| Apr 16, 2019
| Apr 18, 2019
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it was amazing
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ARC provided by the publisher—Pan Macmillan— in exchange for an honest review. A Time of Blood earned my absolutely undying praise for its impeccable, ARC provided by the publisher—Pan Macmillan— in exchange for an honest review. A Time of Blood earned my absolutely undying praise for its impeccable, top-notch quality. Currently, there are only three fantasy authors in the world who can compel me to drop every book in my reading plan and start their newest published work instead; John Gwynne is one of them. There will never be a shortage of praises I can give towards Gwynne’s books. I’m serious, I have insanely high expectations towards his books and yet somehow each of his newest works never fail to not only meet but also exceed my expectations. If you believe in my recommendations and somehow you still haven’t read any of Gwynne’s books, you need to redeem yourself immediately. A Time of Blood was such an incredible and riveting reading experience that I finished it in less than 24 hours; it made me totally ignore reality. “There is much in life that is beyond our control, events that sweep us up and along, actions that wrap us tight in their consequences. Stop raging about the things you cannot change. Just be true to yourself and do what you can do. Love those worth loving, and to the Otherworld with the rest of it. That is all any of us can do.” A Time of Blood is the second book in John Gwynne’s Of Blood and Bone trilogy and the story picks only a few days after A Time of Dread ends. Remember the wonderful pacing of Valor? That is exactly what you’re getting here: chapters ending in a cliffhanger, cinematic scenes being built up, and terrific action scenes written with sniper precision. Even when there was a respite from all the chaos, the story never stopped being interesting because these portions were used effectively to build the character development and relationships. The first book was mostly setup, and Gwynne phenomenally built upon the foundation he established to execute a fast-paced and brutal sequel full of dramatic revelations, engaging dialogues, and bloody warfare. Fans of The Faithful and the Fallen or A Time of Dread have nothing to worry about here; this installment doesn’t suffer the infamous middle book syndrome. Gwynne smartly used this book as a platform to prepare the story for the concluding third and final book while making sure this book doesn’t feel at all like filler. “Each small step taken for a greater good, and then before you know it, you have walked a thousand leagues from where you used to be. And how do you return to that place, return to the person you were? Or if you cannot do that, how do you become the person that you wish to be?" Just like my reviews for The Faithful and the Fallen, I’ll refrain from mentioning character names from the second book and so on in order to make my review as spoiler-free as possible. If you’re familiar with Gwynne’s work, you should know by now that he’s brutal with his characters and he’s not afraid to torture or kill them off. This is also why I utterly LOVE Gwynne’s books. Because of the horrible things he’s not afraid to put his characters through, a melody of dread seems to accompany these characters; I felt a healthy dose of fear for their fates as I turned every page. Their hatred, sorrow, and moral complexity were superbly written and they helped in developing the characters even more. However, it is once again their friendship, loyalty, and love for each other that made me truly care. The rise and fall of heroes and villains in the Banished Lands have always been something that feels personal to me, because Gwynne’s characters always feel so real, and A Time of Blood continued that tradition with finesse. The shifting of emotions that the characters felt were exceptionally portrayed and the characters’ motivations for their actions felt realistic. Because the characters were extremely well-written, the atmosphere of danger in the battle scenes became even more palpable. “A person is made by their heart and their wits.’ He touched his one hand to his chest and then to his temple. ‘And by the deeds that they do. Their choices. Not whether they have pale skin or dark skin, wings or no wings. One hand or two.” The scintillating quality of the action scenes in Gwynne’s books has always been a crucial factor that totally enhanced my reading experience and A Time of Blood displayed a lot of breathtaking battle scenes. Tension-packed chase, fatal archery, stunning airborne battle, deadly ancient magic, marvelous swordcraft/dance, magnificent duel, and savage beasts’ wrath; they’re all here. Even though A Time of Blood is not the last book of the trilogy, the action scenes—especially the final 100 pages which I blazed through in one sitting—could’ve easily worked as a final battle in your usual epic fantasy series. Mayhem and madness exploded as humans, ferals, giant, warriors of the Order, acolytes, wyrms, draigs, angels, and demons all fought in one epic battle. In this installment, Gwynne is back once again to show fantasy readers that he’s still the conqueror of close-quarter battle sequences. I’ve read more than two hundred fantasy books, and in my opinion there are less than five authors who can measure up to Gwynne’s unchallenged skill when it comes to writing vivid and heart-pounding close-quarter combat scenes. As the Kadoshim rises with explosive malice and the Ben Elim descend with their bloody justice, the Order of the Bright-Star must stand their ground with iron-forged determination in order to counter the tsunami of a bloodbath brought by the newly erupting war in the Banished Lands. I can’t emphasize enough the palpable thrill of reading the pulse-pounding climax sequences that were filled with a maelstrom of blood and the clashing steel of devastation in this book. The cinematic action scenes were absolutely fantastic and the heart-hammering climax sequences were completely world-class. I mentioned this in my A Time of Dread review but it still holds true so I’ll say it again: EVERY single book by Gwynne is on my ‘favorite books of all time’ shelf. So far, no other author has ever achieved this kind of constant greatness for me. Not even some of my top favorite authors like Brandon Sanderson, Steven Erikson, or Joe Abercrombie have this kind of consistency. During my time reading A Time of Blood, I was an avatar of iron and the structure of the words written inside this book was a large-scale crimson magnetic field that compelled me to never stop reading. Every word in the book was brilliantly crafted to amaze readers with its superlative quality, and I consider myself blessed to have read this book. Continuing the legacy left behind by legendary authors like J.R.R Tolkien, who rose to fame with his epic fantasies of light waging war against darkness, Gwynne steers the battle between good and evil in modern fantasy towards a perennially promising future. Brimming with astonishing plot, excellent characterizations, unputdownable pacing, vividly engaging prose, and full-throttle exhilarating action in a fully realized world; A Time of Blood is an irresistible jaw-dropping sequel that shows the importance of Gwynne’s role as an ever-burning bright star in modern fantasy. Fantasy fans, trust me when I say just pre-order or buy this book and read it as soon as possible. You won’t regret it. You’re missing out on one of the greatest books and series that fantasy has to offer if you should choose not to read it. The stage for the grand conclusion has been set, and I absolutely can’t wait to read how it all concludes in the final book of the trilogy, which I envision will solidify Of Blood and Bone as one of my favorite trilogies of all time. Thank you very much to John Gwynne for delivering another stupendous escapism experience! "We live our lives by Truth and Courage. Love and loyalty, friendship and honor are our guiding lights.” Official release date: April 18th (UK) and 16th (US), 2019 You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping) The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 04, 2018
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Dec 04, 2018
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Jan 12, 2018
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Hardcover
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1421597713
| 9781421597713
| 1421597713
| 4.53
| 5,516
| May 15, 2006
| Sep 05, 2017
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it was amazing
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I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo Death Note is a masterwork that eventually will become a classic in th I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo Death Note is a masterwork that eventually will become a classic in the manga/anime industry; in my opinion, it already did. This is my first ever manga review on Goodreads, and it probably will be my last unless a special edition like this one comes out again in the future. I know I’ve stated I won’t review manga series I’ve read on Goodreads because of the sheer amount of volumes manga usually has. Plus, the huge amount of manga I’ve read (including reread, it has reached at least 2000 volumes read) makes it even more difficult for me to start. But I’ll have to make an exception because of this particular Death Note: All-in-One edition. Do note that this is not a box set; this is a single 2400 pages paperback that miraculously encompassed all 13 volumes of Death Note—and one never-before-released epilogue chapter in English—into one thick book. I will get into more detail on this edition at the last section of this review, but now let’s get on with the spoiler-free review of the entire series itself. Throughout my time on Goodreads, I’ve been asked several times which manga I recommend. I struggle with this; it’s not that easy for me to recommend a manga series. I have different types of recommendations depending on who’s asking and what they're looking for. But Death Note is one of the few manga series that I often recommend to practically everyone. This reread marked the third time I read the entire series, plus I’ve watched the entire anime adaptation two times as well. This means that I’ve experienced this particular story five times, and it’s still as amazing as the first time. I’m confident in saying that Death Note is a manga/anime series that will be accessible to both newcomer and veteran to manga due to how appealing the storyline and artworks are. For those of you who don’t know, Death Note is a manga series created by the now-famous duo Tsugumi Ohba (the writer) and Takeshi Obata (the artist). The manga series has its run from 2003-2006; it is their first collaboration, and it’s what made them became one of the most highly acclaimed duos in the industry. Death Note’s genre, in general, can be stated as thriller and mystery with a touch of the fantasy element, but this doesn’t mean that this series will appeal exclusively to the fans of the genres. Unlike novels, from my experience, manga usually needs a few volumes for the story to get going; if you’re really expecting to be impressed by the first volume, the majority of manga will probably disappoint you. That said, Death Note is one of the few rare cases where it managed to grab my attention immediately right from the first chapter for its originality and simplicity concept. “The name of the human who is written in this note shall die.” This is an example of a simple concept executed brilliantly. Think about it; who the heck could come up with this idea in the first place? It seriously never crossed my mind that someone would actually start a story that revolves around this concept and transform it into something special. Death Note is an incredibly compelling series that focused highly on justice and moral compass. It’s one of the most thought-provoking series I’ve ever read or watched out of all mediums of storytelling. And to this day, I still sometimes think about what would happen to this world if Death Note truly exists. “Start looking around you... and all you see are people the world would be better off without.” Let’s be honest, every one of us has at least considered the line of thinking above at least once or multiple times; I still do sometimes. That’s part of being human, especially when everything you hear or see around the world is filled with injustice. The main character, Light/Kira Yagami, is a genius that accidentally obtains a Death Note, and he wants to use it for one single purpose: to make the world a better place by killing all scums, rapist, criminals that exist in the world; untouched or touched by laws, there’s no exception. This makes him an ultimate vigilante that practically untraceable by anybody because of its killing method, almost as if he’s truly a god. The plot, of course, became more complicated and engaging once his main rival, L, came into play. Not only Kira and L are both one of the finest characters I’ve ever read in manga, but their rivalry also to this day stands as one of the most highly praised rivalry in the world of manga/anime for many great reasons. To state a few, their characterizations and their deadly game of cat and mouse were so well portrayed that you can’t help but root for both of them. [image] Kira Yagami is also one of the reasons why I have very high standards towards characterizations in grimdark. Up until now, I still haven’t come across many authors—whether it’s manga or novels—who can write a grimdark character as well-written as Kira. The majority of readers think that the series got weaker during the second half; although I can certainly understand why, but I have to disagree. Death Note glued me to the last page from the start; even during my third read, the narrative remains very compelling. I won’t go into tons of detail on why this series is so special, but let me just say that the plot was magnificently done, and the artworks were beautifully drawn. Every character in this series, just like each one of us, has their own sense of justice. Instead of preaching to you about which sense of justice is better or not, I will just say: please give this series a read. It’s a highly influential and immersive series. In fact, Death Note has sparked plenty of real-life copycat crimes and attempted malicious behavior around the world, mostly among students. One minor case for example: In May 2010, a middle school student in Avonworth School District in Pennsylvania was suspended for a "Death Note" with names of fellow students and pop singer Justin Bieber. This is, of course, just one case out of many; you can search up Death Note copycat crimes, and you’ll find so many cases. This is obviously not a good thing, but looking at the bright side, this also shows just how great this series is. It ended up influencing a lot of people around the world. Whether the influence is for good or worse depends entirely on the individual. For newcomers to this series, I know Death Note has been adapted several times. But trust me, don’t watch any of the live adaptations; they just pale in comparison. It’s like comparing the smell of perfumes to excrement, especially the newly released Netflix adaptation. If you check your desktop, there’s this little icon called “recycle bin”, the Netflix adaptation belongs there; it’s pure garbage. You want the best version of Death Note? Read the manga or watch the anime adaptation. Before I close this review, let’s talk a bit about this edition. I strongly encourage you to get this all-in-one edition. Novels are expensive, but they’re nothing compared to collecting manga or graphic novels. Manga is extremely expensive, especially after considering how fast it takes to read through one volume. Let’s say each volume costs $10; Death Note consists of 12 volumes, and to get all of them or the box set, you at least have to pay $90-$120; the price depends on which edition you get. Comparatively, this All-in-One edition is just so cheap; it allows you to get the entire series for $30-$40. [image] [image] There is no downside to this edition, in my opinion, other than it is heavy. But look at it this way, isn’t it just the same as reading novels in hardcover format? With hardcovers, I usually lay them down on the desk or my bed, and then I read i. Reading while lifting hardcovers equivalent to training to become One Punch Man. And this edition can be read the way you read your hardcover; you don’t have to worry about breaking the spine. The spine is supposedly made of enhanced binding technology that made it extremely durable; it’s even stronger than the floppy trade paperback novels. Due to its durability, I read the entire series without any worries of breaking the spine. If you’re still not sure, check out this youtube video and fast forward to the 6:00 timestamp to see how extremely durable this edition is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGq3X... In conclusion, Death Note is one of the best manga series I’ve ever read. Give it a few more years and it will become a classic in the genre; in my opinion, it already did. It’s one of the most popular manga/anime series of all time, it’s and one that I will always recommend. Once again, dive into this series either through reading the manga or watching the anime; those are the only options you should consider, and then you can thank me later for one of the best escapism experiences once you get to it. Also, I would like to give my special thanks to my dear friend Haifa for getting me this fantastic edition as my early X-mas present. You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Wendy, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 08, 2017
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Dec 11, 2017
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Nov 13, 2017
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Paperback
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Liu, Ken
*
| 1481442546
| 9781481442541
| 1481442546
| 4.36
| 33,466
| Mar 08, 2016
| Mar 08, 2016
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really liked it
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I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo 4.5/5 stars The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories is an intimately powe I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo 4.5/5 stars The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories is an intimately powerful and beautiful collection of stories that encompassed some of the most relatable themes to our society, and some stories contained in this collection felt personal and evocative to me. “Every act of communication is a miracle of translation.” Excluding translation works, this collection marked my first experience of reading Ken Liu’s original stories. Ken Liu did a fantastic job on translating The Three-Body Problem and Death’s End, the first and third book in The Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy by Cixin Liu. Because of this, immediately after I finished reading The Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy by Cixin Liu, I knew that I must also read Ken Liu’s original stories. The result totally exceeded my expectations. Ken Liu truly has a way with words; the Asian-inspired tales he implemented were brilliant, and he weaved these short stories and transformed them into an emotionally impactful reading experience. “We are defined by the places we hold in the web of others’ lives.” One of the main topics featured heavily in this collection is the struggle of adapting or coping with Eastern and Western culture; differences in culture, language, and racial prejudice are reoccurring themes. Full disclosure that English is my third language. I’m a Chinese born and raised in Indonesia, and I grew up learning about all three Chinese, Indonesian, and Western cultures and languages due to my upbringing, environment, and education. This is the most pivotal reason why most of the short stories here resonated with me. I understand how difficult it can be to learn and adapt to different cultures and languages, especially on an everyday basis; I’m still learning up to this day, and I will always continue to do so. The majority of my friends and followers on Goodreads, as far as I know, are not Asian, but even if you’re not, this collection is still a must-read if you’re looking for amazing fictions that will also help you understand more about Asian history, way of life, superstition, and struggles. “Our lives are ruled by these small, seemingly ordinary moments that turn out to have improbably large effects.” As you can probably guess from the books I’ve reviewed, I’m generally not a fan of short stories or novellas; more often than not, they’re too short to have a lasting impression on me. However, this collection is exceptional. Almost all of the stories exhibited in this collection were wonderfully well-written. They’re memorable, philosophical, introspective, fascinating, and some of them were extraordinarily emotional. I’m thoroughly amazed by the versatility of Liu’s storytelling. Whether it’s fantasy, sci-fi, magical realism, noir thriller, or historical fiction, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories has them all. If you’re a fan of speculative fiction, I honestly don’t see how most of these stories won’t work for you. I’m not kidding, out of fifteen stories included in this collection, only two of them didn’t click with me. As for the rest? I either liked them or absolutely loved them. Due to the short length of the majority of the stories contained here, I won’t be doing any review on them. I do, however, want to do a short review for two of my utmost favorite short stories in this collection: The Paper Menagerie and The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary. The Paper Menagerie The Paper Menagerie is purely magical. For those of you who don’t know, The Paper Menagerie was the only work of fiction to ever win all Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards within a single year. It is with many great reasons, validity, and recognitions that this collection is titled The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories; the titular story is simply a scintillating piece of literature. 15 pages long, just within 15 pages, Ken Liu has created something that’s truly emotional, important, and mesmerizing. The topics of empathy, mother’s love for their child, and the acceptance of our own race embedded in this short story undeniably tugged at my heartstrings. The Paper Menagerie is a brilliantly imaginative, poignant, and magnificently written short story that almost made me cry within 15 pages. This is, hands down, the best short stories I’ve ever read, and I don’t think I will ever find a better short story than this in my life. I’d give this masterwork a 6/5 stars rating if I could. The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary tells the brutal story of Unit 731—lethal human experimentation that’s responsible for some of the vilest and notorious crimes enacted by the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It’s dark, violent, terrifying, depressing, and it made many grimdark novels tame in comparison. The craziest part about this, though, is the fact that the Unit 731 incident is real; this isn’t fictional, Unit 731 is a part of humanity’s history. The world knows about the Nazi and Auschwitz concentration camp, but it’s shocking to me that many people—Asian or not—have never heard about this atrocious incident. If you’re reading this review and you’ve never heard of Unit 731 or the Second Sino-Japanese War, I hope you’ll find the time to do some research on them. These incidents will most likely make you feel grateful for the life you have now. The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary is one of the most powerful novellas I’ve ever read, and it is truly the most fitting story to close this superb collection. I’ve said all I needed to say; you have to experience this book for yourself. Suffice to say that I’ve arrived at the conclusion that I would be doing myself an immense injustice if I don’t read more of Ken Liu’s works, especially The Dandelion Dynasty series, which sounds like everything I’m looking for in epic fantasy. Intelligently crafted, thought-provoking, and emotionally devastating, I highly recommend The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories collection to every reader of speculative fiction. It is easily one of the finest collection of stories I’ve ever read so far. “And yet, whatever has been lost in translation in the long journey of my thoughts through the maze of civilization to your mind, I think you do understand me, and you think you do understand me. Our minds managed to touch, if but briefly and imperfectly. You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping) | Bookshop (Support Local Bookstores!) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Michelle, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 05, 2017
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Nov 06, 2017
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Nov 05, 2017
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Hardcover
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0425268284
| 9780425268285
| 0425268284
| 4.42
| 87,371
| 2011
| Jun 24, 2014
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it was amazing
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A masterwork you don't want to miss; it is with temerity that I declare Blood Song as one of the best debut novels I've ever read. Why do I love this b A masterwork you don't want to miss; it is with temerity that I declare Blood Song as one of the best debut novels I've ever read. Why do I love this book? The simple answer would be because this is a book that has everything I love in epic fantasy and that it hit all the right notes for me. I could practically end my review with that answer but that wouldn't do justice to how great this book is. Now, it's time for me to take on the role of the Chronicler and inform you why it's essential for you to read Vaelin Al Sorna's coming-of-age story. The Sword of the Realm, the Young Hawk, Darkblade, the Shadow of the Raven, and Hope Killer; it's not an exaggeration to say that Vaelin has obtained many names throughout his life. Told in the same storytelling style as The Name of the Wind, the plot of the book mostly revolves around how Vaelin received all these titles. To do that, he's going to tell the coming-of-age story of his life to the Imperial Chronicler, a story which began when his father left him alone at the iron gate of the Sixth Order in order for him to learn and grow into a warrior. "The Sixth Order wields the sword of justice and smites the enemies of the Faith and the Realm." It's simply incredible how Anthony Ryan weaved this slow-paced coming-of-age story into an addictive page-turner, at least that's how it was for me. I was engrossed in this book from cover to cover; right from the moment I read the prologue, it became immensely hard for me to focus on anything else but reading this book because of the strong gravitational pull the narrative held on me. Blood Song contained every wonderful element and resonating theme necessary for a fantastic epic fantasy debut: intriguing mystery, engaging plot line, brotherhood, politics, religions, faith, home, abandonment, dark magic, and war, all of which were written exceptionally well. "War is always an adventure to those who've never seen it." Blood Song is thoroughly a character-driven coming-of-age story, and if you've been following my reviews until now, it shouldn't come as a surprise that it's my favorite kind of storytelling narration; always has been, always will be. I was filled with emotions seeing how Vaelin developed throughout his journey. It was very compelling to read about how he grew up and faced all the challenges in his battle school for the purpose of becoming a full-fledged warrior of the Sixth Order. However, my favorite part of the book is definitely the brotherhood and comradeship he found on his journey to adulthood. "Comradeship, he realized. Also a warrior's lot. You share your life with those who would die for you." I absolutely love reading all about a character's growth: how they learn from their mistakes, how they come to terms with the situation forced upon them, how they find and build their own brotherhood; it's emotionally rewarding. The characterizations were top-notch and that made the well-placed cinematic action scenes in each chapter more pulse-pounding because the characters were easy to empathize with. Although the world explored in this book isn't that huge compared to many other fantasy debuts out there, don't let this fool you into thinking that the world-building is inferior. The Unified Realm is rich with a history of bloodshed and war. All the mystery, legends, and magic were all introduced gradually and seamlessly without being info-dumpy, strengthening my point that this is an utterly compelling book to read. Ryan's wonderful prose is evocative, immersive, vivid, and easy to follow without being too simple, making it so easy for the writing to fully absorb me into the book. It's truly a spectacular work for a debut and also, this book was originally self-published; were it still, this would easily be the best indie book of all time for me. It won’t be easy for any author or Anthony Ryan himself to top this masterwork debut for me, but I’m hopeful and looking forward to the day that Ryan reattains or surpasses the greatness he achieved with his composition of Blood Song. If I have to be nitpicky, there are some sentences that definitely required commas for the prose to flow even better. But this didn't bother me at all, I seriously think Ryan did an amazing job with this book. "A life without experience provides no contemplation." If you have heard about this trilogy, you've probably heard about the mixed reception the sequels received, especially the last book. Regardless, that shouldn't change your motivation to read this book. Not only does Blood Song work perfectly as a standalone, you'll be missing out on one of the finest books in the coming-of-age fantasy genre should you choose not to read it. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie, Malice by John Gwynne, Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames, and now Blood Song by Anthony Ryan; I'm truly blessed to have read all of these superlative debuts that made it into my favorite debuts of all time list. Honestly speaking, the year 2017 has been a harsh year for me outside of my reading. Ironically, I found hope in a warrior called Hope Killer. The Sword of the Realm became real to me as it cleaved through my despair. The Young Hawk taught me to soar above my problems, and as the Raven's Shadow swept across my heart, I realized that every second I spent in my escapism was worthwhile. Picture: Blood Song by NAVAR [image] Now, it's time for me to put down my pen—or keyboard in this case—and end my review here. Thank you, Anthony Ryan, for one of the best literary journeys I've ever had the chance to experience. It was truly an honor to have listened to the breathtaking tune you composed, the Blood Song. I completely recommend this book with all my heart to every fantasy reader; it's without a doubt a greatness that every coming-of-age fantasy fan must read. You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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May 06, 2019
Oct 31, 2017
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May 09, 2019
Nov 02, 2017
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Oct 18, 2017
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Mass Market Paperback
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my rating |
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4.60
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it was amazing
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Sep 16, 2021
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Aug 25, 2018
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4.60
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it was amazing
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Aug 08, 2020
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Aug 25, 2018
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4.54
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it was amazing
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Jan 29, 2019
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Aug 13, 2018
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4.42
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really liked it
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Jan 19, 2019
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Aug 13, 2018
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4.44
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it was amazing
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Jan 08, 2019
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Aug 10, 2018
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4.21
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it was amazing
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Feb 09, 2023
Jul 17, 2018
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Jul 07, 2018
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3.84
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it was amazing
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Jul 24, 2018
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Jul 01, 2018
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4.40
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it was amazing
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Jun 10, 2018
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Jun 04, 2018
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4.22
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it was amazing
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Jun 06, 2018
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Jun 04, 2018
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4.57
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really liked it
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Oct 31, 2020
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May 29, 2018
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4.41
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it was amazing
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Oct 06, 2021
Jul 13, 2019
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May 27, 2018
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4.09
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it was amazing
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Sep 08, 2021
Nov 10, 2018
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May 27, 2018
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4.18
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really liked it
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Sep 04, 2018
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May 05, 2018
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4.37
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it was amazing
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Nov 13, 2019
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Feb 21, 2018
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4.39
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it was amazing
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Nov 07, 2019
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Feb 21, 2018
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4.17
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it was amazing
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Apr 08, 2018
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Jan 29, 2018
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4.35
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it was amazing
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Dec 04, 2018
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Jan 12, 2018
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4.53
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it was amazing
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Dec 11, 2017
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Nov 13, 2017
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Liu, Ken
*
| 4.36
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really liked it
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Nov 06, 2017
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Nov 05, 2017
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4.42
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it was amazing
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May 09, 2019
Nov 02, 2017
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Oct 18, 2017
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