|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
![]() |
|
|
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1982193328
| 9781982193324
| 1982193328
| 4.61
| 2,690
| Apr 02, 2024
| Apr 02, 2024
|
it was amazing
|
This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Disquiet Gods ARC provided by the publisher—Baen Books—in exchange for an honest review. T This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Disquiet Gods ARC provided by the publisher—Baen Books—in exchange for an honest review. This book... What a penultimate installment. Disquiet Gods is a festival of epic science fantasy masterwork cranked to maximum level. Melancholy. I am feeling the melody of melancholy right now. From reading the book, and because the end of the series is nigh. It is bittersweet to have read every book in The Sun Eater series up to Disquiet Gods, including all the companion novellas and collections of short stories. For those who don’t know, I read Empire of Silence for the first time in September 2023. That was seven months ago. From the many messages I received, although I am joyful to have influenced more people to start reading this absolutely incredible series, I must say I am the one who has to offer my gratitude to Christopher Ruocchio for writing the series and every one of you for pushing me to read The Sun Eater series. A series I consider to be the best sci-fi series of all time. And there is the potential for the series to rank even higher after the explosive final book, Shadows Upon Time, is out. But it feels bittersweet right now to finished every installment in The Sun Eater series so far. Not only that. On top of having my praise blurbed at the back of Disquiet Gods hardcover, I have the honor of having my name mentioned in the acknowledgment section at the beginning of the novel, too; in one of my favorite books to one of my favorite series of all time! That is special to me. And Disquiet Gods, the sixth volume in The Sun Eater series, is ridiculously phenomenal. If you have read The Sun Eater up to Ashes of Man, and you refuse to hear my thoughts before reading Disquiet Gods, I vouch and understand your decision. What matters to me more is that you read this mindblowing penultimate installment. It will be worth your time. I had space-high expectations, and Ruocchio exceeded them. “Life is very long. I had not known my brother in centuries. It may seem strange to you, dear Reader, who has not perhaps the luxury of so long a life, that my brother should retain so great a hold on me after so long—and yet it is so. But the impact of childhood, I have found, does not diminish. Not after a hundred years, not after five.” Disquiet Gods is almost 300,000 words long. That’s almost as large as Demon in White, the third and the biggest volume of The Sun Eater series, an installment hailed by many members of The Red Company to be the best book of the series. One of the most discernible things about Demon in White was how—structurally speaking—it felt like five connecting story arcs or novels organized into one book. And I am so damn pleased to see Ruocchio implement a similar story structure design (but different content) to Disquiet Gods. There is a LOT of information to absorb from this book. A LOT. This is something the fans of the series should experience for themselves. I cannot emphasize this highly enough. Henceforth, in this review, instead of merely repeating my praises of the series—all of them are still valid and more for this book—I’d like to review this book by sharing my spoiler-free thoughts about each story arc in Disquiet Gods. I will start with the first one, the beginning, on the planet of Jadd. “Stranger still that on both occasions, you should be at the heart of things… Do you not see now wherefore your coming is to us as the footsteps of doom?” She said this last in Classical English, and I recognized the phrase. 200 years have passed since the end of Ashes of Man. Hadrian Marlowe is more than 600 years old now. He is aging. And he is tired. But the war between the Cielcin and humanity continues to ravage the Sollan Empire, with the Cielcin in the winning position. The realms of men are terribly plagued with overwhelming malice from the Cielcin, but the spark of hope has not dimmed. A messenger has come to Jadd, bearing a summons from the Sollan Emperor for the one-time hero, Hadrian Marlowe the Halfmortal. A summons, a pardon, and a plea. HAPSIS, the Emperor’s secret first-contact intelligence organization, has located one of the dreadful Watchers, the immense, powerful beings worshipped by the Pale Cielcin. Hadrian, Cassandra, and Neema must race across the galaxy to locate the Watcher and kill it. “One is always exposed in the void, even on the vastest starship, without the comforting blanket of the sky to keep one warm. But in that moment, I imagined—and perhaps I sensed—a will, a malice, as though some terrible eye was questing in the Dark, scouring the stars. Jadd had been a paradise, a garden behind whose walls I had long been kept safe. I had returned to infinite space, the ceaseless night of the wider universe. To my old world and life.” It is accurate to state the story parts in Jadd is, by far, the tiniest section of Disquiet Gods. It is only 50 pages long, and remembering all the insanity that unfolds after Hadrian left Jadd on his next mission, it is probably easy for other readers to forget this smaller Jadd portion. But personally speaking... Jadd is one of my favorite planets in The Sun Eater. The vivid planet of fire felt equally infused with calm tempest and energy. The molten rocks, magma, volcano, and the cultures. Although, understandably, Hadrian Al Brutan needs to move on from the planet to proceed with the story quickly, Jadd left a strong impression on me, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more of it. Thankfully, I did read Daughter of Swords, The Royal Game, and The Fangs of Oannos before reading Disquiet Gods. They are brilliant short stories in The Sun Eater, and they worked as a mini-trilogy prequel to this novel, showing more of Hadrian and Cassandra’s life in Jadd. This is nothing to complain about, though. Hopefully, one day, Ruocchio will write a novella or two about Hadrian's time in Jadd. And Disquiet Gods only gets better and better with each story arc, as evidenced by immediacy in the second story arc: Planet Sabratha. “We cannot decide the world we live in ourselves, but we can change the world for those who follow after.” Honestly, the only part of this penultimate novel I can mark as a possible minor criticism for other readers—and this is being super nitpicky because I don't even consider this a criticism—is to be patient with the calm before the storm moments. Approximately the first 150 pages of Disquiet Gods are focused on introducing new characters, getting the characters back on track, and exploring the desert planet Sabratha. This is, as I said, not a criticism. Almost every main novel in The Sun Eater, except Ashes of Man, begins with a huge time jump. It is only proper that Ruocchio takes his time for readers to feel acquainted with Hadrian, the new characters, and the galaxy again. It is essential to do this, especially in Disquiet Gods. Due to circumstances, the first third of Disquiet Gods is centered on Hadrian and many new characters appearing in the series for the first time. Some notable new characters, among many, are Cassandra, Neema, Edouard, and Ramanthanu. I cannot imagine the rest of Disquiet Gods shining as bright in qualities without the vital foundation laid in the first two story arcs of the novel. And once the storm begins... trust me. You won't be able to stop the bonkers vortex this book will trap you in. Disquiet Gods is easily the wildest installment in the series so far. And if you've read the series up to here, you know this notion should not be taken lightly. “I was nothing at all. The barest drop in a limitless ocean. One photon against the infinite Dark. One is enough. The voice that whispered to me then was not my own, nor was it Ushara’s… It was no voice at all, hardly to be heard. But it was right. Had I not seen—had I not been shown—had I so easily forgotten how fragile the darkness is? One photon was enough to hold it back.” Some of you Sun Eater readers might know I'm working as an art director for The Broken Binding edition of The Sun Eater series. Progress is going smoothly for the first three main novels of The Sun Eater. It will be a while before I get to work on Disquiet Gods, but the scenes and details from the first 260 pages of Disquiet Gods would make my work as an art director easier. There were sufficient iconic scenes to choose and work on from the Jadd and Sabratha story arc. However, things changed after I read the rest of the novel. There are now too many magnificent scenes to choose and sacrifice. The ending sequence of the Sabratha story arc was superbly imaginative, crazy, and outrageously epic in scope. Hadrian's adventure and struggle relentlessly drop my jaw. And when I thought things couldn't get crazier, Ruocchio assured me that the first two story arcs in Disquiet Gods were a warm-up before he commands his imagination and storytelling to fire at will in the remaining three story arcs. “The one must work for the good of the many, so the Mux Sae says, but the Lothrians would destroy every one for their many—not realizing the contradiction.” To strengthen my points about the third story arc of Disquiet Gods, allow me to reflect a bit about the eternally stamped scenes in my amygdala from Demon in White. Coincidentally... It is also the third story arc of Demon in White. And in the gleaming city of Forum as well! I constantly praise The Sun Eater as one of the most ambitious and crucial science fantasy or space opera series of our time, but in Demon in White, Ruocchio actually displayed the vast scope of his storytelling by including a relatively small and pulse-pounding murder mystery section. If you are like me, who loved the political thriller section in Demon in White, we are blessed to witness another form of this storytelling’s incarnation in Disquiet Gods. “It is not power that builds empires, that asserts order on the stars. It is vision. Vision and the heroic will to act. Where there is that vision, all else follows. Where it is not, there is decadence, desperation, and decay. I understood all this then, in that moment, though it has taken me much time to order my thoughts on the matter, and perhaps it is only now—by the light of my murdered sun and the dark days that have followed it—that I see things clearly.” The galaxy-scope threats posed by the Cielcin are forcing The Children of Earth and the Sun in The Sollan Empire to come together for a brave counter-attack against the Cielcin. As you can probably expect, with many pillars of authority in charge, plus a conflicting and compelling reunion with a specific beloved character, unity among fellow humans is never fated to proceed smoothly. Ruocchio’s political intrigue and scheming are handled masterfully. I cannot praise it highly enough. The range and level of his storytelling are simply astounding. The narrative in the third story arc of Disquiet Gods was the most breathtaking and intense within the entire novel. And as I said earlier, events did escalate into a new higher plane of existence in Disquiet Gods. One chapter in particular, one of the longest chapters ever penned in the series so far, is jam-packed with revelations and emotions. I am trying to keep things vague, but some pivotal revelations here reminded me of Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time video game. Disquiet Gods bestow its reader with titanic information about The Quiet, The Watcher, the Extrasolarians, and The Cielcin. The scope of Hadrian’s earth-shattering mission is, to say the least, universally staggering. “I say it is the cruel law of art that all things must die, and that we ourselves must die . . . having exhausted every suffering, so that the grass, not of oblivion but of eternal life, should grow, fertilized by works.” I cannot talk much about my thoughts on the details in the remaining two story arcs of Disquiet Gods. They are the story arc in Planet Latarra and another planet I prefer to leave unnamed. But I can say this. Everything you’ve read in the series, everything about Disquiet Gods, amplifies the leviathan weight behind the recurring quotes: “Seek hardship” and “Why should your burden be light?” It was so powerful. I have read many series, and I respect series that speak and cherish the reader. It was as if Ruocchio said: “We are in this journey together. What you’ve read in the previous books, all of them played an irreplaceable part.” That’s what I felt from reading this penultimate volume. The remaining two story arcs reinforced this point more extensively. “You believe you fight to reduce the evil in what is… You fight to increase the good. Every person you save, every world left untrammeled by evil serves to increase the good in that final accounting. You asked why he does not end all that he has made: because the story is not yet finished, even now, and he will not end it until every bead of light has had its day. It felt rewarding to read a series where not only every book is tremendous, but all of them are paramount to the overarching narrative. Ruocchio never neglects this. In Disquiet Gods, events from Empire of Silence to Ashes of Man were reflected. Howling Dark, Demon in White, and Kingdoms of Death are the biggest contributors of them all. I am so delighted by this. It will be easy to refute any argument that states a specific main installment in The Sun Eater as a filler or unnecessary installment. Every one of them matters. Howling Dark and Disquiet Gods felt like they were hyperlinked. As we approach the explosive light of Goddodin, readers will reasonably expect satisfying major revelations and convergence, and Disquiet Gods successfully deliver what the reader craves and needs. “It’s war, Hadrian… Each of us pretends to be fighting for right, or Earth or gods . . . but in truth, we’re each only fighting for ourselves. The Cielcin are no different. They need to eat. All that matters, ultimately, is that we win. How we won will be decided later, that it may be said we fought with honor.” As Hadrian undertook his impossible mission to do what must be, Ruocchio prepared a 150-page battle sequence to close this volume of The Sun Eater. I won’t mention the name of the battle. I won’t mention the name of the planet. Witness the danger Hadrian and The Sollan Empire encountered yourself. The Ruocchano (the climax sequences) of Disquiet Gods was explosive, terrifying, and filled with insane twists and turns. The emotional damage inflicted was nothing short of remarkable. I am not kidding. Even the brief remark of a character’s eyes was evidently enough to get me emotional. Disquiet Gods proved once again that the writing and the world-building of this series, as I always say, are impeccable and massive in scope. Ruocchio demonstrated it is possible to craft the chemistry formula for an excellent blend of science and fantasy series. “People conceive of war and battle as mere events, happening for discrete periods of time in a specific place. But war is a place unto itself. A new universe, one with its own laws of time and space. Seconds which might have passed one after another in ordinary time pass all at once in war—so that hours vanish in instants—or not at all. In war, often a single second contains lifetimes.” Masterpiece. Disquiet Gods is a science fantasy masterpiece. I have done my best to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. Though this review is long, I assure you I haven’t covered the fragments of the greatness in Disquiet Gods. The Sun Eater is a quintessential display of journey before destination. We know the final destination of The Sun Eater. The details of the journey, though... We have to find out and experience them ourselves. At the moment, I lack the confidence to determine which books among the top 3 books of The Sun Eater should reign as the best volume of the series. Demon in White, Kingdoms of Death, and Disquiet Gods will have to be content with sharing the title for now. To wrap this review up, I will repeat what I have said. Ruocchio deserves a crown for broadening the horizon of possibility in the genre. This series is a future classic in the making. If you haven't started reading the series yet, give the series a chance. At least up until Howling Dark. You have time to bask in the light of the series before the epic ending to come in Shadows Upon Time, the seventh and final book of The Sun Eater series. Where the intricate legend of the Sun Eater will be witnessed. I long for that day the dirge of the Cielcin will be sung. And I hope you will be there with me on that monumental day. “Pain. Our fear of pain is the foundation of all morality. It is that fear that shapes our world, orders civilization... Our experiences of pain teach us the nature of suffering, and so we are moved to minimize that suffering in others. Pain grounds our reality, is the cornerstone of our interactions with the objective world. Pain makes us human, teaches us to be human. You can order this book from: Amazon | 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! ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Apr 10, 2024
|
Apr 16, 2024
|
Jul 09, 2023
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
0756413095
| 9780756413095
| 0756413095
| 4.46
| 4,762
| Mar 08, 2022
| Mar 22, 2022
|
it was amazing
|
This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Kingdoms of Death. ARC provided by the publisher—DAW Books—in exchange for an honest revi This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Kingdoms of Death. ARC provided by the publisher—DAW Books—in exchange for an honest review. Ruocchio gets what I love to read in science fantasy. Every book in The Sun Eater series has become one of my favorite books of all time, and Kingdoms of Death is not an exception to this claim. Darkness If you, like me, have an extraordinarily profound level of connection with Hadrian Marlowe and The Sun Eater series, the oppressive darkness in Kingdoms of Death will hurt you. You cannot avoid this. This is the painful and right direction for the series. This must be. Same with my experience of the previous three books, I didn’t know too much about Kingdoms of Death except that it is supposedly the darkest novel in the series. Other than that, I knew that Kingdoms of Death and the next book in the series, Ashes of Man, was supposed to be one massive 400,000 words long novel. But I, to this day, still don’t know where the Kingdoms of Death stands in the ranking of the fans of the series. I knew most fans of The Sun Eater chose Howling Dark or Demon in White as their number one or two favorite installments in the series. I rarely heard about Kingdoms of Death earning the top two spots. This is, frankly, understandable due to the incredible exposure to darkness and violent content. But for me, it is also shocking. Personally speaking, Kingdoms of Death is, at least, in the runner-up spot for the best installment in The Sun Eater series for me. I cannot believe my reading mood and luck to have picked such a powerfully unforgettable novel as the first book I started reading in 2024. Starting with a faintly similar story structure to Demon in White, but rest assured Kingdoms of Death is a different kind of book, Kingdoms of Death begins with a battle against one of the vayadan. It did not take long after for Hadrian to receive his next deadly mission. To go to Padmurak, the Capital of the Lothrian Commonwealth. You see, there are two noticeable parts in Kingdoms of Death. One that takes place in Padmurak, and then everything after that. It is easy for the latter to overshadow the first half of Kingdoms of Death. I am trying to refrain from mentioning the names of the locations to avoid spoilers in this review, but the dread and chaos after Padmurak in Kingdoms of Death remains crystal clear in my mind as I compose these words. After I finished Kingdoms of Death, I had to take a break and recall that the Padmurak and Lothrian Commonwealth sections do transpire in Kingdoms of Death as well. And honestly, Ruocchio did a great job with the Padmurak section. The detailed totalitarianism culture of the Lothrian Commonwealth, especially the way the people of the Commonwealth speak, took me some time to get used to. But Ruocchio never fails at igniting the fear for the characters in me while Hadrian was there. It made me feel like things could go completely sideways for Hadrian and his friends at any moment. There's no doubt the part after Padmurak is the best part of Kingdoms of Death for me. And yet, it should be recognized that without the groundwork established in Padmurak, the remaining grim brilliance of Kingdoms of Death will not triumph. Kingdoms of Death is the smallest book in the series at 200,000 words long, but it would be a mistake to assume it is not packed with pivotal crossroads for the series. Some readers have asked me whether this book ended on a cliffhanger due to the division status of the book and its sequel. And the short answer to that question is no. The most recent example of another favorite series of mine impacted by the same cut is The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu. The Veiled Throne and Speaking Bones was supposed to be one 700,000-word novel, but it’s divided into two. It IS impossible to publish a 700,000 words long book in one volume. But in the case of The Dandelion Dynasty, the division caused The Veiled Throne to not have a concluding final chapter. The last chapter of The Veiled Throne felt like the end of a standard chapter rather than a conclusive ending. I am pleased to inform you that Kingdoms of Death does not have this issue. I took a peek at the first chapter of Ashes of Man. And yes, there's no time jump; the story continued seamlessly. But the ending in Kingdoms of Death was fitting, touching, emotional, and surprisingly hopeful. Shocking. I know. But yeah, there is no cliffhanger here. And to reap the ending rewards of Kingdoms of Death and for it to aid your broken heart with relative catharsis, a path of thorns must first be walked. “I had defied the Prince of Princes, and all would see the consequences of that defiance.” Suffering. Misery. Grief. Pain. Darkness. Any one of these words could work to encapsulate Kingdoms of Death. The content justly lives up to its book title. Kingdoms of Death has one mission. To ingrain total pain and thoroughly destroy Hadrian. And mark my words... The narrative is dedicated and loyal to the mission. Unlike the previous three books, Kingdoms of Death is not a book where Hadrian gets to fight back and broaden his legendary feats and titles frequently. We, readers, have the details of knowing since the beginning of Empire of Silence that Hadrian Marlowe will survive this, but that might not be kindness, depending on your perspective. Hadrian has led a life filled with mythical accomplishments. I am not caught up with the series yet, but the events in the four books I have read in the series so far, especially Kingdoms of Death, have raised the question of whether dying would be a better solution for Hadrian's ruthless journey. There's just so much suffering. So much. But at the right passage and placement, it felt like Ruocchio predicted the readers would think about this notion at several scenes in Kingdoms of Death. When that line of thought crossed my mind, Hadrian answered me by showing his astounding resolve to live. And to say I was totally amazed by this is an understatement. I have read a LOT of SFF books, and it is still irregular to read a main character tortured as cruelly as Hadrian in Kingdoms of Death. It reminded me of Guts from Berserk by Kentaro Miura, and that is not a light claim. I am actually convinced Kingdoms of Death is partly inspired by Berserk. But I will compare Kingdoms of Death to Berserk again later. For now, if you are about to visit Kingdoms of Death for the first time, you better armor yourself and your heart. Approximately half of the book is devoted to the Cielcin's mission to obliterate Hadrian and his companions: The Red Company. “A man needs more. A man must have a people, must belong somewhere. To someone. A man must have a family, born, chosen, or made.” Your level of connection with Hadrian and The Red Company will be crucial in deciding how much Kingdoms of Death will emotionally affect your experience. Here's the thing... Hadrian, Valka, and the Red Company have faced a myriad of missions together; not short of bloodshed and sacrifice, they continuously carve their legends in the cosmic museum of the Sollan Empire. However, in Kingdoms of Death, they are about to confront their most challenging and dangerous conflicts with The Cielcin. As for me, I have become incredibly attached to Hadrian and his relationship with Valka and the Red Company in Demon in White. Do not get me wrong. They were already superb in Empire of Silence and Howling Dark. But the thematic narrative of camaraderie was the most evident in Demon in White, where they turned into something special. No human can go through what Hadrian and The Red Company encountered in Kingdoms of Death with their sanity and personality unchanged. Simple as that. As I said earlier, the Cielcin’s unbendable imperium given by Miudanar to vanish every trace of humanity is absolute. From the stunning cover art by Kieran Yanner depicted at the front of Kingdoms of Death, it should let you know already what the main focus of Kingdoms of Death will be: The Cielcin. Yes, the battle and conflict against the Cielcin has always been one of the strongest driving forces of the narrative in The Sun Eater series. But more than ever in the series, this is the book where we learn most about the Cielcin, their civilization, their mission, their faith, and their gods. The Cielcin, their hierarchy, The Quiet, Utannash, the Watcher, Eue, Dharan-tun, Syriani Dorayaica, and more. Since its first intimidating appearance and now Kingdoms of Death, Syriani, the Prince of Princes of the Cielcin, has become one of the most terrifying and intriguing villains I’ve read in science fiction. Its lethal vision and goal are starting to be realized. They want to shrink the horizon of hope in humanity to zero, and nothing can stop them from ascertaining that their malice deserves to exist in the universe. But are they evil according to them? Not really. Just like humanity, they, too, have their own culture, truth, and faith. Perhaps it is a cliché to say this, but at the end of the day, the path of peace between humans and the Cielcin is impossible simply because the root and nature of the two races are too different in every sense of the word. This is one of the reasons I am again impressed by Ruocchio’s writing and storytelling. Amidst all the bloodletting, mutilations, and bloodbath, Ruocchio indicated the possibility that in another world, another situation, another circumstance, or an alternate universe, as unlikely as these sounds, Hadrian and Syriani Dorayaica could be good rivals or even friends. Their intense interaction and dynamic, and the way they somehow understand each other, demonstrated that. But time flows only in one direction. Forward. And the fate of war between the two races is the one our Hadrian Marlowe must traverse. If you haven’t read Kingdoms of Death yet, let me give you some advice to enhance your immersion. Do not start reading chapter 36 and beyond unless you have some time ready for reading. I made the terrible mistake, or good decision, of assuming I can safely read one or two chapters. Only to find myself absolutely compelled to read non-stop until 4 A.M due to reaching the late 30’s chapter: the climax sequence. Don't worry. I will not tell you the actual number of the chapter. But if you have read this book, you know what I am talking about. The climax sequence in Kingdoms of Death is recorded in my list of the greatest, pulse-pounding, and bloody sequences of all time. The casualty is massive. The scarlet and obsidian scenery under the gaze of the giant skull of the Dreamer painted by Ruocchio was utterly vivid. I can visualize it in my mind as I speak these words. The extent of the destruction is incalculable, and I must admit, I did not expect the grim factor in Kingdoms of Death would crank up to this grade of insanity. And I am, believe it or not, thankful for it. From blood being churned, bone crunched, massive decimations, and electrifying aerial battles, the relentless wave of dread caused by the Cielcin was immensely palpable. It was definitely one of the most merciless, heart-wrenching, and brutal consecutive salvo of devastation. Trust me, as I plunged myself into the abyss of ruin, The Red Company Discord server was there to witness my live-text reactions. This sequence, or this book, made Dark Age by Pierce Brown seem tamer in comparison. And Dark Age was already one of the darkest books I have ever read. But it pales in the presence of the hideous moving dominion of Syriani Dorayaica. My heart raced to see whether the light of Hadrian Marlowe the Halfmortal could vanquish the tremendous darkness. Sooner or later, The Sun Eater will become more popular. With more readers jumping into The Sun Eater series, the overwhelming violence and vicious nature of the narrative in Kingdoms of Death will turn more controversial and questioned. Does the book warrant such a heavy exploration of torture and crimson carnage? That's up to you to decide. There is no correct or wrong answer to this. Only subjective reading experience and preference. The way I see it, this is the author's vision, and he put it on the page for readers (who are willing) to understand what he is trying to achieve in his storytelling. Remember, Hadrian Marlowe will annihilate the entire Cielcin race. We know this. In my opinion, we need astonishingly deep context and understanding as to why Hadrian decides to go down this hellish road for the premise to work and affect us. This is the purpose of his chronicle, after all. And based on how much I love Berserk by Kentaro Miura, not always, but sometimes we do need to be put through genuine sorrow and horror over the events that occurred through the details. Maybe it is an unpopular opinion. But The Eclipse in Berserk by Kentaro Miura, even decades after it was released, is still one of the most iconic and disturbing scenes to ever be put on a manga series. It is a controversial one, that's for sure. Some readers think it's unnecessary to go that hardcore. But whether you like it or not, because Miura is willing to put every deprivation that happened to Guts and the Band of the Hawks on the pages, it is one of the many reasons why Guts's survival and willpower to live remains inspiring to readers around the world to this day. Kingdoms of Death employed a similar technique. Just being told The Cielcin are evil is not sufficient to make us readers fear them. Hadrian wanted to understand the Cielcin in Empire of Silence. Since Howling Dark, we know the path of peace is unlikely to happen. But after the travesty in Kingdoms of Death? It has been ensured the path of peace between humanity and the Cielcin is fully impossible now. And my hatred toward the Cielcin is now stronger than ever. We know Hadrian will survive through his severe ordeals, but how? Journey before destination. How can Hadrian and his companions rekindle the spark of hope after this extreme torment, cosmic injustice, and war with evil? I strongly believe the preparation for the grand retribution has been set, and if it's done right in Ashes of Man or beyond, Hadrian Marlowe and The Sun Eater series is about to become even more iconic and legendary than it already is. It is easy to compare every traumatic event to The Red Wedding in A Song of Ice and Fire. I have been guilty of this, too, and I will most likely repeat it again, depending on the circumstances. But after the readers in The Sun Eater fanbase expands, people will start treating The Black Feast to be, at least, on the same level. Heck... in my opinion, it was more insane. And I look forward to that monumental day. Light Kingdoms of Death will most likely be remembered for its darkness and savagery, and it is not a mistake for that to happen, but light… I believe Kingdoms of Death should also be remembered for one of the main lessons it taught: do not give up searching for the light of hope. Kingdoms of Death is not a book of joy. It is a book of pain. It is harrowing. It might not make you happy. It will hurt. It will make you uncomfortable. It will break your heart. As it intended and should be. But remember, the deeper the darkness, the brighter the light and beauty of the world shine. And I truly appreciate this. Too many authors state they're willing to put their characters through suffering, but more often than not, the results are tamer than expected. Or there is always a limitation to them. Books that emotionally scarred me are the best kind of books and storytelling. It means I care. Make me care. Hurt them. Make them suffer. Break my heart. Display to me the depth of their fatal trials and tribulations. Make sure I'm emotionally damaged from reading them. And then, make me look forward to seeing the moments the characters detonate their burst of determination and spirit in the face of absolute depravity. And in these, Kingdoms of Death has marvelously succeeded. The last 5-star rating I gave to a book was for Demon in White, which I consider a masterpiece in science fiction, at the end of November 2023. And by going from impeccable strength to strength, Kingdoms of Death earned another 5 out of 5 stars rating from me. My heart was shattered and stomped. Repeatedly. And when you are reading Kingdoms of Death for the first time, find the fragments of our hearts. Join us. Find us. “Now hear this. The old words seemed to drift back to me on the wind, carried by the ocean airs from world to world. Here’s a lesson no tor or primate of the college will ever teach you, if it even can be taught. The world’s soft the way the ocean is. Ask any sailor what I mean. But even when it is at its most violent, Hadrian . . . focus on the beauty of it.” You can order this book from: Amazon | 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, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Ciprian, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Jordan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Sirbu, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wendy, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yosi, Yuri, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 07, 2024
|
Jan 12, 2024
|
Oct 10, 2021
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
0756413060
| 9780756413064
| 0756413060
| 4.63
| 6,257
| Jul 28, 2020
| Jul 28, 2020
|
it was amazing
|
This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Demon in White. An absolute masterpiece. Demon in White is a genuinely epic space opera f This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Demon in White. An absolute masterpiece. Demon in White is a genuinely epic space opera fantasy at its paramount shape. “Silence… The great empire of silence: higher than all stars, deeper than the kingdom of death! It alone is great; all else is small.” Brilliance. After the rising brilliance of Empire of Silence and Howling Dark, it should be impossible for Ruocchio to ensure this, but Demon in White successfully surpassed the previous two books in the series in overall quality. This is honestly my favorite installment in the series so far. It may even become my favorite in the entire series, but that remains to be seen. I have read many books in the past seven years since I began reviewing books on Goodreads. And when I read a book, it is often easy for me to choose one or two favorite sequences out of it. That’s normal. But sometimes, my instinct can tell me loudly that I am in the presence of something special. There are various determining factors to this, and one of the marks of reading something extraordinary is when I am left incapable of deciding which part of the book is my utmost favorite. Demon in White, the third and the biggest book in The Sun Eater series so far by Christopher Ruocchio, has achieved this rare phenomenon with finesse. Despite its close-to-300,000 word count long size, the book earned its every page count. And in return, I am at a loss again on how I should review this sci-fi masterpiece. But I will try my best to do it justice. It is no wonder so many readers—all of you—told me I would love the heck out Demon in White, and once again, all of you were spot-on with your recommendation. With the first three main novels in The Sun Eater being included in my list of favorite books, Ruocchio scored a hattrick, and he has become one of my auto-buy authors. “Sic semper tyrannis… You cannot lead as a tyrant. The people under you will not let you. To lead is a kind of service, a duty you owe to those who follow. Noblesse oblige. I need you to understand this because—to skip to number three—you are not a squire. You are a prince of the Aventine House and a high lord of the Imperium. If I teach you nothing else, it is that you should treat the people under you like family, and that if you’re very, very lucky they may do the same. It is the obligation of those of us born to power or who earn it to wield that power with virtue, because power is no virtue unto itself. For almost a hundred years since the events of Howling Dark, Hadrian Marlowe and his comrades engage in war against the Cielcin, a vicious alien race bent on humanity’s destruction. And there is a rumor of a new emerging king amongst the Cielcin. This one is not like the others. It does not raid border world territories, preferring precise, strategic attacks on the human Empire. To make matters worse, a cult of personality has formed around Hadrian, spurred on by his legends we readers witnessed in Howling Dark. Men call him Halfmortal. Hadrian’s rise to prominence proves dangerous to himself and his company. And caught in the middle, Hadrian must contend with enemies before him—and behind. Above it all, there is the mystery of the Quiet. To learn more about the Quiet has always been Hadrian's goal, but the key to Colchis, the only place in the universe where Hadrian might find the answers he seeks about the Quiet, lies in the hands of the Emperor of the Sollan Empire himself… “And if you burn long enough and bright as I have done, you come back to that simple truth of childhood: the world of the scientists, of engineers and mathematicians, does not exist. We live in stories, in the demon-haunted world of myth. We are heroes and dragons. Evil and divine.” I did read Queen Amid Ashes novella and Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1 first before reading Demon in White, and I recommend you to do the same if you have read the series up to Howling Dark. Even though they are not required reading. I do not consider most of the stories in Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1, the first collection of short stories in The Sun Eater, as necessary to be read before reading Demon in White. But with such a huge time jump between books, it is worth reading at least Queen Amid Ashes novella and The Demons of Arae short story in the collection to see a few-among-many missions Hadrian and his company undertook in the time-jump between books. On its own, The Demons of Arae is an alright short story. It felt like a missing chapter of Hadrian's chronicle in The Sun Eater series. But I am glad I have read it. Reading The Demons of Arae first gave a quick and deeper context into the new form of the Cielcin. And readers can reap the benefit immediately in the first part of Demon in White. “As a child, we believe the world enchanted because age has not killed the magic we are born with. As we grow, the simple spells of new sights and far-off places no longer work on us, and we grow cynical and cold.” As much as I loved Empire of Silence and Howling Dark cover to cover, I did mention there were small sections in those books where extra patience was slightly required. In Empire of Silence, it was the beginning of Hadrian’s time in Borosevo. In Howling Dark, it was the first 100 pages where Ruocchio brings the reader up to speed on what has happened to Hadrian in the two decades time gap between books. Demon in White did not encounter any of these issues. For me, every page was thoroughly compelling. And this is a pleasant surprise because Demon in White actually begins with one of the biggest time jumps I have ever read in a sequel of the same series. Almost 100 years. And yet, it led to the strongest and most exciting beginning quarter in the series so far. “There are two sorts of people in the world… Those who accept reality as it is, and those who force reality to be what they will.” How could it not be? Demon in White starts with Hadrian’s first arrival in Gododdin. Yes, Gododdin. The location of the galaxy-changing event The Sun Eater will commit in the future Hadrian constantly noted since the first pages of Empire of Silence. The endgame of The Sun Eater series. Additionally, two new characters, Lorian Aristedes (his surname is most likely a homage to Paul Atreides from Dune) and Udax (from the newly introduced race named Irchtani), have earned my emotional investment quickly and gradually more with each page turned. Lorian Aristedes, specifically, reminded me a lot of Sand dan Glokta and Tyrion Lannister. Some of my most well-written characters of all time. And then, 150 pages into Demon in White, readers are plunged into a 70-page-long intense and exhilarating action sequence against Iubalu, one of the Cielcin's vayadan, titled Battle of the Beast. From this confrontation, I knew crystal clear Demon in White would receive at least a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating from me. I was wrong about this. It is difficult to comprehend how Ruocchio supplied the narrative in this book with such efficiency and effectiveness. With each book read in The Sun Eater series, I repeatedly feel more impressed by Ruocchio’s ascending talent as a storyteller and writer. His versatility in the art of storytelling is simply astounding. Compared to the previous two books in the series, and this is saying a lot, Demon in White successfully included even more pivotal events. There were no “Parts” allocation in Demon in White, but the unmarked five parts of the book felt like reading an entire amazing duology or trilogy packed into one tome. Ruocchio’s aptitude for navigating multiple geographies of storytelling continues to inspire me. For the first time ever in the series, the narrative in The Sun Eater is embedded with high-stakes murder mystery and thrilling political conflicts as well. The incredibly breathtaking duel scene in Demon in White was, in my opinion, one of the most cinematic and vivid duel scenes I have ever read. And it was at this glorious stage I felt confident Demon in White would become a 5 out of 5 stars read for me. Again, I was wrong about this. “Intus, homunculus, plebeian, patrician, palatine. Doesn’t matter. Our ancestors became palatine because they did great things. They smashed the Mericanii and saved mankind. But we are not them, and must do our own great things, eh? The others deserve their chance, as well. They did not ask to be born as they are, and so you and I will not punish them for it. To be a good knight, a good leader, a good man for that matter, you must judge a person by his or her actions. By their character. I kept raving about Hadrian Marlowe and his feats. He is a lightning rod for catastrophe, and his unstoppable legendary deeds have turned him into one of my favorite characters of all time in speculative fiction. But it would be a grave mistake to assume Demon in White is exclusively about Hadrian and the detailed record of his chronicles. Since Empire of Silence, we have been graced by the presence of many memorable supporting characters. The Marlowe family, Tor Gibson, Valka Onderra, Bassander Lin, Pallino, Switch, Corvo, Lorian Aristedes, Udax, and many more that I refrain from mentioning to avoid spoilers. And Hadrian’s character development, actions, and influence on all of these characters and vice versa is an irreplaceable strength of The Sun Eater series. “How rare and precious are such moments measured against the length and horror of life! Such moments as make the rest of it worth enduring.” And Demon is White is not only about the war, betrayals, violence, and devastating conflicts. It is not all doom and gloom. If that were the solitary content, Demon in White would not become the masterpiece I perceive it to be. It is precisely due to the well-placed contrast and balanced variety in the tale that Demon in White transformed into an immensely tremendous book. The sense of camaraderie, hope in the ugliness of the world, and the repose and calm moments felt emotional, unforgettable, and bittersweet. The camaraderie and how time not only heal but also ruin depicted in Demon in White is the finest in the series so far. A reunion with an important character, the echoes of laughter and happiness, all tugged at my heartstrings. As my journey to read more and more science fiction and fantasy books resumes, feelings of sadness and longing ignited through a narrative are comparatively more infrequent now. And this is why I am more appreciative of a book or series that can conjure this kind of emotion in me. The same notion is applicable to plotting predictability as well. Do not get me wrong here. More than unpredictability, execution matters more to me. This is why the same tropes and a similar brand of story can be retold countlessly to incite great effects in readers. It all depends on the way it is written. But still, to encounter and consume a series that allows me to constantly feel completely immersed while failing to guess where the story will go is a fortune. The Sun Eater series, especially Howling Dark and Demon in White, accomplished this. Each book in the series never felt like fillers or overwritten. Each volume brought something new in all aspects, and they never cease to expand the scope of the galaxy-spanning world-building further and further. I wish for more epic science fantasy series as magnificent and intricate as the galaxy Ruocchio crafted in The Sun Eater. The extremely rich world-building and stunning revelations in Demon in White were poured into the texts organically by building after the hints and groundwork established in Empire of Silence and Howling Dark. We are talking about history that spans more than ten thousand years. We are greeted with deeper insights into the God Emperor, his descendants, the Aventine dynasty, the Golden Age, the Mericanii, the Cielcin, and the mystery of the Quite extensively in Demon in White. It was mindblowing. Ruocchio's usage of visions and dimensions was nothing short of outstanding. Just when I thought I knew where the storyline was going, what I constantly received was outside and superior to what I expected. I felt like a dormant anvil hammered with wonders made of adamant bones. It is serendipitous to open each book in The Sun Eater thinking something relatively predictable would occur, and then I realize I am merely an empty book about to have my expectations rewritten with a golden quill. What I envisioned could not match the results, and I am undoubtedly delighted with it. This review is long enough and yet incomplete unless I recant my brief statement regarding Ruocchio’s action sequences in The Lesser Devil. In my review of The Lesser Devil, I mentioned that Ruocchio’s prose might be more suitable for philosophical, lyrical, melodrama, and melancholic narration. And these are indeed still prominent and superbly written in Demon in White. Ruocchio's philosophical and thought-provoking thematic narrative is terrific, and they encompassed most of The Sun Eater series, after all. However, the climax sequence of Howling Dark, the Battle of the Beast, the deathly political intrigues, the cinematic duel, and the bloody damn epic Battle of Berenike I witnessed in Demon in White have demonstrated with total certainty that Ruocchio is a fantastic battle sequence writer as well. “Every place is the center of the universe. Everything matters. Every one of our actions, every decision, every sacrifice. Nothing is without meaning, because nothing is without consequence.” Hadrian has come a long way since his coming-of-age tale in Empire of Silence. He is far from perfect, but I felt proud seeing Hadrian in a commanding position leading a massive army against even larger battalions of obsidian death and pale colossus. As we speak, I still can’t fathom the pandemonium I read in the ending sequence of Demon in White. The fantastical element is eloquently infused into the space opera genre, and the scale of the 150-page climax sequence was ridiculously epic in scope. The tension building and the horror can be felt, the torrent of fire can be seen, the hellish scream of the victims can be heard, and the impact of the meteoric detonation is so terrifying. Hadrian and humanity’s titanic clash for supremacy and dominion versus Syriani Dorayaica—the Scourge of Earth—and Bahudde—one of its Vayadan—was a feast for my mind-visualization. Will the Devil of Meidua or the Prince of Princes triumph as the conqueror? The answer to that question, I believe, is one you should read and find out for yourself. “You don’t know me at all… I told you what I was after. I told you my dream: understanding, and a peaceful galaxy to seek it in. And to save everyone on this planet if I can. I do not want the Empire. I did not want any of this. We do not get to choose our circumstances or our trials. We can only choose how to respond to them.” Iconic. Concluding Demon in White in such a badass composition brimming with multiple iconic scenes has cemented The Sun Eater as a victorious science fantasy series every fan of the genre should read. I have said what I needed to say. And believe me, my words cannot capture the maximum imagery of friendship, wisdom, torment, love, and majesty depicted in Demon in White. There are endings, reader. And even though we have the gift of foresight, I failed to predict my rating for Demon in White. 4.5 stars is a score too low. 5 out of 5 stars is insufficient. Demon in White merits a 6 out of 5-star rating, and I would give it that if I could. Ruocchio deserves a crown for broadening the horizon of possibility in the genre. And I am not even finished with the series yet. The top-tiered best kind of fantasy and sci-fi books can leave you with many permanently seared crucial scenes and sequences. Scenes to be discussed, analyzed, and remembered for many years. Some widely praised legendary series like The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, Dune, The Stormlight Archive, and more are bursting with these kinds of segments. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin is a great example. This book has emulated this type of marvel expertly. Demon in White by Christopher Ruocchio is an exceptional sci-fi masterpiece to be eternally reread and retold. To wrap this review up, I will conclude by announcing Demon in White is easily one of the top three best sci-fi books I’ve ever read. It is one of the pinnacles, and if you want to assume this is the best sci-fi book I read this year, my answer to that is this: You’re not wrong. You can order this book from: Amazon | 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, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Ciprian, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Ellen, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Jordan, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Sirbu, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tori, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wendy, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Nov 25, 2023
|
Dec 2023
|
Oct 10, 2021
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
1982141174
| 9781982141172
| 1982141174
| 4.62
| 51,458
| May 23, 2023
| May 23, 2023
|
it was amazing
|
ARC provided by the publisher—Saga Press—in exchange for an honest review. This is not an exaggeration. The Will of the Many by James Islington is the ARC provided by the publisher—Saga Press—in exchange for an honest review. This is not an exaggeration. The Will of the Many by James Islington is the best fantasy book with a magical school trope I’ve ever read since The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. “The power to protect is the highest of responsibilities… When a man is given it, his duty is not only to the people he thinks are worthy.” James Islington instantly became one of my favorite authors with The Licanius Trilogy. Since then, I knew I would need to read every new book written by him, and that's why The Will of the Many, together with Light Bringer by Pierce Brown and the four secret novels by Brandon Sanderson, reached the top of my most anticipated releases of this year. It's not a good habit to have high expectations toward any book as that makes us prone to disappointment. But I couldn't resist it here. I didn't know what the story in The Will of the Many would be, and I still entered it with very high expectations because I loved how satisfying Islington completed the complexity of The Licanius Trilogy. And luckily, Islington managed to exceed my unreasonably high expectations with The Will of the Many, the first book in the Hierarchy series. As far as the first book of a series goes, this one tops over The Shadow of What Was Lost in every possible way, and I think many of you know how much I enjoyed The Licanius Trilogy by now. To be more precise, The Will of the Many is Islington's best novel so far in his career. It is, at the very least, even though it is a different kind of book, up there with the quality produced in The Light of All That Falls. This is a contender for the best book of 2023. By the end of this year, the competition is fierce, but I will be shocked if The Will of the Many did not—at least—end up in my top 5 books of the year. And I will tell you why in this review. The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything. He tells them his name is Vis Telimus. He tells them he was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and good fortune alone gives him a chance to enter their most prestigious school: The Catenan Academy. He tells them that once he graduates, he will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing his strength, drive, and focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above him, as millions already do. As all must eventually do. Vis tells them that he belongs, and they believe him. But the truth is that Vis has been sent to enter the Catenan Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart. And that he will never, ever cede his Will to the empire that executed his family. To survive, though, Vis will have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. He will have to smile, make friends, pretend to be one of them and win. If he fails, then those who want to control him, who know his real name, will no longer have any use for him. And if the Hierarchy ever finds out who Vis truly is, they will kill him. This is the blurb for The Will of the Many. If you’re familiar with Pierce Brown’s sci-fi series Red Rising Saga, you might notice the similarities in the premise. For context, in Red Rising, Darrow is a Red, the lowest rank in the hierarchy of labor within the color-coded society of the series. The Gold is the ruler of humanity, and they have done irrevocable actions to Darrow and the Red for many years. So Darrow has to masquerade as a Gold and increase his fame and prestige through the rank of Gold to fulfill his revenge. Red Rising Saga is one of my favorite series of all time, and yes, the similarities with Red Rising can definitely be spotted in The Will of the Many. Even more so because Vis has a personality that is quick to anger like Darrow, and the world-building of these two series is heavily Roman-inspired as well; more on this later. But more importantly, the premise and the Roman-inspired world-building are where the similarities end. “A man is nothing if he does not honour his debts.” The Will of the Many is a different kind of book compared to Red Rising. This is not like the controversial case that The First Binding by R. R. Virdi has with The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. This 240,000 words long novel never felt derivative to me. It's the other way around; with more pages read in The Will of the Many, especially after the insane ending, the more I feel The Will of the Many as a whole package, as expected of Islington, is another incredibly distinct, ambitious, and mind-blowing work of art. From my assessment, it would be more exact to say if you love the premise and world-building portrayed in Red Rising Saga, it's very possible you will end up loving The Will of the Many. Especially if you love the magical school or academy setting and trope too. If you’ve read The Licanius Trilogy, you will know that plotting is one of the finest aspects of the trilogy. I’m pleased to mention Islington’s strength as a mostly planner storyteller (I believe every writer is a mix of both) returns powerfully in The Will of the Many. My mind is still reeling as I write this review. I cannot stop thinking about all the events that transpired in this novel and their crazy implications for the rest of the series. Only a special fantasy series can make me feel this effect right after reading the first—out of the planned three or four—installments. I predict The Hierarchy will be more than a trilogy, but that remains to be seen. I am not comparing which is better here as a storyteller: a pantser or a planner. Both have their merits. However, I believe Islington has showcased the best aspects of being a—mostly—planner type of storyteller in The Licanius Trilogy with his meticulous story structure and well-placed revelations, and I can already see these factors being implemented magnificently here. This is all splendidly realized without any sacrifice in pacing. The pacing was engrossing from cover to cover for me. The blurb and I have mentioned the enrollment into the prestigious Catenan Academy. I do not think of this as a spoiler; similar to readers talking about Kvothe entering The University in The Kingkiller Chronicle or Harry Potter entering Hogwarts, just a few examples. Both series take place in a magical school setting, the same as The Will of the Many. But to set expectations accordingly, let me be clear that Vis' tale in the Catenan Academy did not start until we reached Part II of the book: Deus Nolens Exituus. (Get Results Whether God likes it or not.) That's 35% into the book, and by approximation, I think about 50% of the story actually takes place in The Catenan Academy. Part I of the story, Imperium Sine Fine (An Empire without an End), was the setup and foundation. This is the introductory section, and it depicts Vis’ merciless training montage and preparation under the tutelage of Lanistia before he enters the Academy. Additionally, the foundational stage and the training montage were never uneventful. Islington efficaciously made the three parts of the narrative here have their own overarching story arc (beginning, middle section, and concluding chapters) while being seamlessly connected to one another. If you already have a great time reading Part I, you will be gripped with the rest of the book. This, of course, comes with a caveat that the magical school or academy trope and setting is one of your favorites. The Will of the Many is a book about ambition, justice, greed, vengeance, friendship, leadership, loyalty, knowledge, and family. And although these were on some level established since Part I, they were extensively integrated into the narrative in Part II and Part III: In Cauda Venenum (The Poison is in the Tail); once Vis is in The Catenan Academy, an academy that rewards greed and victory above all else. A magic school setting in fantasy is constantly irresistible to me. I have no idea when I will be over this trope, but it is not anytime soon. I am confident in that. I cannot help it, okay? Whether in novels, manga, or video games, I have many of my favorite adult fantasy stories centers or starts in a magical or battle school setting. It is one of my favorite tropes of all time. There is something about training montages, learning new abilities and skills, overcoming challenges, and defeating bullies or horrible teachers while forming friendships that always feel satisfying and relatable. These factors in fantasy novels, paired with the magical school trope, and a main character that earned my investment, have a good chance of becoming one of my favorite books. They are some of my favorite escapism. Assuming they are done right, of course, and The Will of the Many is a good example where all of these were infused incredibly well. A few comments have stated they did not feel connected to the main characters of The Licanius Trilogy due to its heavily plot-focused storyline, except for Caeden. Although I do not fully agree with this notion, because I liked Davian, Wirr, Asha, and many characters in the trilogy enough, I certainly agree Caeden is the best character in The Licanius Trilogy; Caeden IS one of my favorite characters in the fantasy genre. It is with a heart full of happiness I say it is very likely Vis will become a character I love as much as Caeden in the future. Try not to misinterpret what I said as a criticism toward The Licanius Trilogy. The Licanius Trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies. My point is that Islington has developed further as a storyteller; with more books in the series available in the future, the potential for Hierarchy series to be better than The Licanius Trilogy is strongly evident. If I am already this compelled and invested in Vis and his story just from reading The Will of the Many, what would be the outcome after reading the sequels? I am excited to find out. “Whether the obstacles to our advancement arise from our ties or our actions, we need to learn to overcome them ourselves. It’s not fair, but nor is the world.” I found Vis to be a character reminiscent of Kvothe or Darrow. Forged by his brutal past, the rigorous physical and mental training he partakes from a young age has acted as an eternal fire of motivation that transformed him into a skillful fighter, intelligent, resourceful, a quick learner, and a jack of all trades. In other words, Vis is great at many things. However, he is not flawless. Vis lies a lot for survival and is often blinded by rage. This uncontrollable crimson veil of wrath often leads him toward conflicts or iconic moments, depending on how you look at the situation. His capacity for violence and fury is a weakness he needs to tame, and he soon realizes he cannot do everything by himself. This is why the unlikely friendship he forms in the Academy, especially with Callidus and Eidhin, gives him solace and hope amidst all the loneliness, dangers, and life-threatening allegiances he's juggling. Moments of virtue, loyalty, and solidarity were relatively rare and hard-earned, but the warmth of each one of these occurrences felt palpable; they radiated from the pages. All of these, along with Vis' inspiring courage, determination, and compassion, reinforce the unputdownable narrative for me. Islington's improved prose was responsible for my immersion and connection with the novel. Islington successfully nailed Vis' personality and voice so damn well. In science fiction & fantasy novels, it is frequently crucial for me to truly feel like the POV character is telling their story, not the author. The narrative has to completely enthrall me in the POV character's narration and inner thoughts. The best kind of SFF authors can do this. Here are some examples of an SFF series with excellent first-person POV narration. Fitz in The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb, Kvothe in The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss, Darrow in Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown, and Tomas Piety in War for the Rose Throne by Peter McLean with Tomas Piety. These four characters' narration felt like the author became the messenger with a mission to write and deliver their tales. And that, precisely, is what has been accomplished in The Will of the Many. Islington’s writing style has the ability to conjure vivid imagery in my mind and an engaging reading experience effectively. And these praises are not exclusive to Vis. The entire story is told from the first-person POV narration (in present tense) of Vis, and yet, I still feel like I got to know the supporting characters' motivations and personalities almost as well as Vis. They are all unique with their own qualities. “You would be surprised at how far a combination of coin and favour can go toward silencing whole families.” Finally, before I close this long-enough review, I want to elaborate on the world-building of the series. When I read The Will of the Many, it hit me that I haven’t read as much Roman-inspired epic fantasy series as I thought. I think this is a factor that increased my reading enjoyment. There is Codex Alera by Jim Butcher, a popular Roman-inspired fantasy series. But, in my opinion, The Will of the Many is multiple times superior. The world-building feels relatively fresh. Many aspects of the world-building in The Will of the Many are deeply rooted in its Roman inspiration. The names, clothing, beautiful vistas, settings, in-world game, and more. Every aspect of the Roman-inspired world and Islington's crafted fantasy lore were delivered in detail gradually. I did not feel overwhelmed by the terminologies, there is a character list and glossary at the back of the book every time I need to remind myself of something, and it did not take long for me to feel immersed in this Roman-inspired epic fantasy series. And I loved it. The gladiatorial bouts, the naumachia, the Catenan rankings, and how the magic system (Will, which I'm sure we will see even more of its usage in future sequels) is interweaved into the story. Everything felt so natural to the plotlines. Plus, there is, of course, Islington's own creation in the manifestation of the mystery of the ancient weaponry and Cataclysm, a world-spanning disaster three centuries ago that left less than five people in every hundred alive. Maybe it is more accurate to call The Will of the Many, and the series, an epic science fantasy series due to how the high fantasy aspect and scientific technologies merged and enhanced the narrative. And I, as a fan of having more sci-fi elements in epic fantasy, am totally pleased by all of these combinations. The characters' development, in-depth lore, technologies, and history established in The Will of the Many have provided possibilities for the Will and mysteries of the Cataclysm and more to be explored further in the next installments. This is also a darker novel than I expected. Explosions, massacres, shredded flesh and blood, and obsidian eyes and blades; the action scenes—the big action sequences, Labyrinth runs, or duels—were all tension-packed. Islington displayed the immense terror every second can bring in the lurking presence of disintegration and chaos. Violence begets grief, and grief begets violence. Is it a mistake, or is it righteous, to repay the sorrow caused by the heinous sins of the past with more violence of the present? The Will of the Many closed the magical/battle school/dark academia portion of the series, and that alone was already super satisfying. But oh my god... the mysteries and implications raised after the final chapters were groundbreaking, to say the least. Without spoilers, what Islington did in the epilogue, Ex Uno Plures (Out of One, Many), was nothing short of outstanding. In one chapter, Islington escalated the scintillating novel into something even more extraordinary. My emotional attachment to the characters and events of this book is undeniable. The Will of the Many by James Islington is a phenomenal achievement. Islington has flourishingly crafted a Roman-inspired science fantasy world with brilliant plotlines that feel believable through the perspective of a talented and flawed main character imbued with a superbly distinct voice. I absolutely loved it. It IS one of the best books I've ever read, and it is also one of the rare books where, upon finishing it, I immediately wanted to reread from the beginning. And I know I will do that when the sequel, The Strength of the Few, is near. The waiting time for the sequel will be one of the worst waiting times I need to endure. How could it not be after the intense and insane culmination of the book? But until then... I will be patient. Audi (Hear). Vide (See). Tace (Be Silent). And read The Will of the Many as soon as possible. A new exceptional science fantasy series destined to become a classic is here. The Will of the Many has everything I love in an epic science fantasy novel, and many scenes here will become eternal moments in my mind. You can pre-order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping) Most of the quotes I wanted to use in this review were taken out on Goodreads because I ran out of allowed characters. 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, Aliysa, Anastasia, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Brad, Cade, Casey, Chris, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Kristina, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Michael, Michael, Miracle, Nicholas, Radiah, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Shawna, Teri, Tori, Tracy, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Mar 16, 2023
|
Mar 22, 2023
|
Sep 22, 2021
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
Liu, Ken
*
| 1982148977
| 9781982148973
| 1982148977
| 4.56
| 2,553
| Jun 21, 2022
| Jun 21, 2022
|
it was amazing
|
I am labeling Ken Liu as a genius. Speaking Bones has launched The Dandelion Dynasty to become the best series of 2022. “What did that goddess-likeI am labeling Ken Liu as a genius. Speaking Bones has launched The Dandelion Dynasty to become the best series of 2022. “What did that goddess-like lady say? If you do not like the stories you’ve been told, fill your heart with new stories. If you do not like the script you’ve been given, design for yourself new roles.” Since The Wall of Storms, I’ve mentioned the difficulty of reviewing each book in The Dandelion Dynasty, and that statement hasn’t changed here. It is even more prevalent. I’ve read and written more than 600 reviews now, and each volume in The Dandelion Dynasty, especially Speaking Bones, are some of the most difficult reviews to write for three main reasons. The first one is it is impossible and futile to try and tell the magnificence of the series through a few reviews; this series is an experience, and it is something you should start and complete for yourself. No reviews in the world will ever be able to capture the multitude of impactful depths Liu poured into this series. The second reason being each book in The Dandelion Dynasty packed a myriad of glorious content. Although The Dandelion Dynasty is technically a quartet, each book feels like I’ve read two or three epic fantasy worth of content. The third reason, I’ve never highlighted quotes from a book or series as much as I did for The Dandelion Dynasty. With 181 quotes, Speaking Bones alone is by far the most highlighted book I’ve ever read. This quantity is unprecedented. As I always say, I usually highlight about 10-40 quotes per book. But almost every paragraph and sentence in The Dandelion Dynasty demands to be highlighted, remembered, and re-remembered. All of these made reviewing Speaking Bones so challenging. The Dandelion Dynasty is a special series. And although I fully understand my review won't be able to do this book and series justice, I will still attempt it in the hope of convincing at least one or two people to give this series a read. Because through that, I will know I've succeeded in making the world a bit brighter. “The world may not be fair, but we must strive to make it so. The world is a dark place, but we must strive to make it brighter.” The Veiled Throne functioned as the first half of the final book of The Dandelion Dynasty. But there’s always a second act. Always. And the second act to finally conclude the series is manifested in Speaking Bones. In part 1 of The Veiled Throne, we encountered a new important character from The Lands of Ukyu and Gonde: Goztan. This was done in a flashback format. But that is no longer the case here. The last chapters of The Veiled Throne were centered on our main characters in The Islands of Dara. We are not getting the continuation to this side of the story until we reach Part 2 of the novel. But believe me, the wait will be worth it. In Part 1 of Speaking Bones, Hail-Pummeled Flowers, the story focuses on our main characters in The Lands of Ukyu and Gonde. And without mentioning any spoilers, part 1 of the novel immediately showcased the main tone of the narrative that will be displayed even more powerfully in the rest of the novel. Incredibly emotional, thought-provoking, contemplative, and so intense. "We show our character not by the weapons we choose, but through the purpose for which we fight and manner in which we wield them.” This shouldn't come as a surprise. As I said, The Veiled Throne and Speaking Bones are two parts of one big novel. That means what we are reading in Speaking Bones is almost an entire consecutive climax sequence and conclusions. But with proper build-up and superb pacing. And this notion applies to all five parts of the novel, starting from Part One, where the final confrontation between the Agon and Lyucu storyline is executed. I have no shame in admitting that I couldn't predict where the story was going. I was just astounded by how well-written the big aerial battle was. But more importantly, I already LOVED the themes that Liu discussed in Part One. A FEW examples: the meaning of eternity, what defines good or evil, why the cycle of violence is recycled endlessly, how no one is a villain in their stories, and what is often used as justification for the act of killing. All of them were delivered with a freezing impact. And this is just from Part One! Everything that happened in Part One was harrowing, depressing, bittersweet, and memorable. And these work well in preparing readers for the upcoming chaos and drama in Part Two of Speaking Bones: Thunder-Awakened Forest. “In Dara, it is said that there is often little to divide the madness of tyrants from the grace of kings, and heroes and villains alike demand sacrifices of others. The difference, if there is one, lies in why the sacrifices are being sought: to satisfy the ambition of the few or to secure the freedom of the many.” One of the best things about The Dandelion Dynasty has always been how splendid Ken Liu incorporates the super engaging battle scenes and the various deep themes into the story. We, epic fantasy readers, tend to love reading scenes of bloodshed, violence, and massive war scenes, but I think an SFF author has to be careful about applying these to their books. These devastating scenes, without any emotional weight and proper setup, would end up being mere flashy scenes that hold no meaning to me. Fortunately, this negative situation and feelings of boredom never happened throughout my time reading The Dandelion Dynasty. The concept of power, its attainment, and the corruption from wielding it is one of MANY themes that Liu insert into The Dandelion Dynasty. We arrived at the final stage of its searing effect in Speaking Bones. Teeth on the board. One who wields power must understand the consequences of wielding it. Or it will end up wielding the supposed wielder instead. These themes and the perpetually superlative characterizations, background development, and motivation building for the myriad of characters throughout the series imbued insanely terrifying emotional weight and stakes in the battle scenes and crimson conflicts. “Never be so certain that you’re right that you can justify the killing of thousands without shivering from doubt.” The destructive sunflower bloom of conflagrations and countless bloodshed poured in the big battles like the Battle of the Crescent Island felt palpable, vivid, immersive, and pivotal. Before you drown in my overwhelming praises for Speaking Bones, or The Dandelion Dynasty, I feel inclined as a reviewer to mention no war scenes in the series top over The Battle of Zathin Gulf in The Wall of Storms. This isn't to say The Battle of Crescent Island, or the Battle of Pan I'll talk about later, was ever uninteresting, but let's put it this way. If The Battle of Crescent Island and The Battle of Pan are 5 stars material, The Battle of Zathin Gulf is a 6 out of 5 stars material. I know, for one thing, that several readers won't like the structure Liu used to depict The Battle of Crescent Island. The Battle of Crescent Island is divided into three huge chapters. And every chapter ended with a cliffhanger immediately followed by a long chapter about the new specific invention crafted to be utilized in the battle. This can be slightly disruptive to the pacing. Those who don’t like reading a chapter ending in a cliffhanger might have an issue with this as they won’t be able to read the continuation of the cliffhanger chapters without reading a 30-40 pages chapter about the creation of a new invention first. But I loved it so much. Though it's true it did decrease the tension of the battle, the juxtaposition between battle scenes and technology crafting demonstrated Liu's spellbinding storytelling skill. Change is a constant, and everyone has to adapt. “There are consequences for every change, most of which cannot be anticipated. The belief that all wrongs can be righted merely by the desire to do good is… worrisome. Even the wisest laws and the most dedicated ministers will produce injustice, so long as humans are frail and selfish.” Speaking of cliffhangers and technologies, the end of Part Two of Speaking Bones will require readers to be patient again. It can be a bit hard, especially after such a pulse-pounding, dramatic, and enthralling turn of events that ended Part Two satisfyingly. Part Two plunged readers immersed in Dara into sceneries of carnage in the land and the sky. Through engineering that changed the shape of the future, exceeding even the Silkmotic bolt's capability, the new arsenal of weapons created resulted in climactic duels and fiery detonations. But Part Three, in my opinion, was different and absolutely worth it. By the end of the series, Part Three of Speaking Bones became one of the most crucial sections in the novel. But above it all, excluding the importance of the chapters here, I think Part Three was exquisitely meditative and impressive. Unlike Part One and Two of Speaking Bones, Part Three, Stone-Twisted Roots, was relatively calmer. At least for the one in The Islands of Dara. The way Liu implemented technologies and inventions into The Dandelion Dynasty is utterly clever. I have always mentioned this, I love epic fantasy series that dares to blend technology and science into their epic fantasy series while keeping it secure that it is still an epic fantasy series. The blending of genres is one of the things that Liu excelled in his storytelling. This is proven in ALL of his books. And that is once again re-established in Speaking Bones. Technologies and inventions often dictate how civilization advanced, and the intelligent practicality and importance of innovations and technology were not exclusively designed for war and obliteration. Most of Part Three centered around the dominant characters from the second half of The Veiled Throne, and here Liu also revealed the writing zither. I loved everything about it. Not only does Part Three enhance the quality of The Veiled Throne, but the philosophies and themes of healing, redemption, kindness, mercy, peace, war, life, and death embedded into Part Three constantly hit me like a brick. I will not spoil you with anything about this, and I will talk about this briefly. The origin story of Totoryoana (or Rufizo Mender) and the story of the three swords are some of the best origin or mythical stories I've ever read. Simple as that. Plus, it again exhibited Liu's wonderful talent for writing short stories. It is all SO GOOD. “There was nothing ordinary about being ordinary; to love and to be loved: That was the quintessence of the extraordinary. Only by being apart from her beloved did she finally love herself; only when she had learned to love herself did she truly begin to love.” Ken Liu saved the best of Speaking Bones in Part Four: The Fruits of Knowledge. It is, after all, the riveting denouement to the series. This is where everything came to an end. And I mean, really everything. One of my favorite things about reading The Dandelion Dynasty, or a well-structured epic fantasy series, is how we can look back and realize how much has been planned and prepared since the beginning of the series. This goes back to events in The Grace of Kings. The deadly long game that has been cultivated since The Grace of Kings and The Wall of Storms by one of the most spectacular and despicable characters I've ever read reached its final stage in this section as well. And although I ended up discovering the truth of her long game sooner than expected, seeing the full revelations still brought me relative satisfaction. I wanted a different fate for everything she has done, but what occurred is more fitting for the series. The Battle of Pan was absolutely compelling. Once again, The Battle of Pan was not as epic as The Battle of Zathin Gulf, but when it comes to emotional value, it was on par. All the unfolding vicious betrayals, heart-wrenching tragedy, merciless menace, ruthless violence, and tempestuous disputes ended in Part Four. And you know what? I couldn't be more satisfied by the breathtaking sequence of events than what is written here. “What Dara needs now is not the Doubt-Ender, but the emptiness of doubtful potential. When the heart has been cleansed by doubt, every hope becomes a possibility. I want to tell a story that the people don’t expect, a story of empathy that encompasses the world.” From my perspective and experience, the concluding chapters of Speaking Bones and the series were just too fitting to complain about. Calamity, cataclysm, war, and despair weren't the only key driving factors of the climax sequence or the book. If that was the case, the ending of The Dandelion Dynasty wouldn't be this special to me. As I said, portraying meticulously crafted balance in light, darkness, and the shade of grey between the two is one of the many talents Ken Liu accomplished marvelously. Hope, love, trust, friendship, peace, friendship, honor, art, and legacies, to mention a few, shine bright as well. Their beautiful existence, together with their dark counterparts, transformed the series and the ending of Speaking Bones into something irreplaceably special to me. And the finishing touch composed in Part V: Falling Leaves, the epilogue chapters of the novel, proceed to turn The Dandelion Dynasty into the best series of the year for me with even more gravitas than it already has. “Beauty and art can persuade through the heart even when grand speeches from learned philosophers fail to sway the mind.” Translation, languages, cultures, prejudice, ideals, engineering, legacies, mentorship, love, friendship, family, and more. There is too much. There is simply too much to capture in a review. I've written more or less ten thousand words (in total) of reviews for the series, and I still feel like I've captured only fragments of its brilliance. Speaking Bones is a masterpiece. A masterful culmination to The Dandelion Dynasty. Spanning generations of stories through hundreds of characters, I am in disbelief that I must say goodbye to the series now. For the past four months, I’ve been reading one book in the series per month, yet it feels like I’ve lived in Dara for half my lifetime. The Dandelion Dynasty is one of the very few series where each new volume I read improved the already exceptional (and beyond exceptional for The Wall of Storms) previous books. It is now proven that the reimagining of the Chu Han Contention in The Grace of Kings was successfully established as an ironclad basis for the rest of the series to explode with its meteoric impact and illuminating excellence. “Every generation must compose its own destiny. There is no shirking of this duty. Teeth on the board.” Once again, no existing review in the world could encompass the multitude of depths, knowledge, and emotions contained in each volume of The Dandelion Dynasty. I absorbed tomes of knowledge, a torrent of philosophies, exciting adventures, and unforgettable experiences permanently put into my mind and soul. Ken Liu always says a book isn’t completed when an author has finished writing the book. That’s halfway. A book or a series is completed only when the reader has finished reading them. And now, I’ve completed The Dandelion Dynasty. I didn’t just read about Dara and Ukyu and Gonde. I have lived them. How could I not? Ken Liu isn’t merely a storyteller with an intricately deep knowledge of this world. I see him as someone who has truly lived these stories. And he’s imparting the stories inside The Dandelion Dynasty to readers through his evocative and lyrical prose inside these books. Through his telling, my reading, and my re-remembering, I, too, have lived in The Islands of Dara and the Lands of Ukyu and Gonde. I have witnessed the tales of Kuni Garu, Mata Zyndu, Jia Matiza, Gin Mazoti, Zomi Kidosu, the children of Dandelion, and all the inhabitants from the Islands of Dara and The Land of Ukyu-and Gonde. I have heard stories of their gods. I have undoubtedly enjoyed my remarkable time and experience with the series. And it is your turn. It is your turn to complete your version of The Dandelion Dynasty. And yes, you SHOULD read The Dandelion Dynasty, a series that has catapulted its way up to becoming one of my favorite series of all time. You have my total gratitude for this masterpiece of a series, Ken Liu. Teeth on the board. I will strive to serve Mutage. Series Review: The Grace of Kings: 5/5 stars The Wall of Storms: 5/5 stars The Veiled Throne: 4.5/5 stars Speaking Bones: 5/5 stars The Dandelion Dynasty: 19.5/20 stars You can order this 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, Andrew W, Amanda, Annabeth, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Ellis, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lana, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Nanette, Neeraja, Nicholas, Reno, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Shawna, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Aug 20, 2022
|
Aug 26, 2022
|
Oct 08, 2020
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
1474606210
| 9781474606219
| 1474606210
| 4.53
| 55,501
| Nov 17, 2016
| Jun 13, 2019
|
it was amazing
|
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo An absorbing literary masterpiece embedded with every range of emotion I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo An absorbing literary masterpiece embedded with every range of emotions. “Tell our stories to the world, and never forget that we exist so long as someone remembers us.” To express how much I loved The Labyrinth of the Spirits, and the entirety of The Cemetery of the Forgotten Books, is a challenging task that I never predicted would ever happen to me, but attempt it I shall. I think it’s a seriously missed but redeemable opportunity that many readers didn’t continue reading the series after they finished The Shadow of the Wind. For the sake of comparison, there are more than 436k ratings for The Shadow of the Wind on Goodreads at the time of writing this review, The Labyrinth of the Spirits has 22k ratings. Don’t get me wrong, The Shadow of the Wind is an incredible book that worked great as a standalone; I won’t deny that. However, believe me when I say that there’s more—so much more—to the astonishing tales you’ve read in The Shadow of the Wind. If you truly want to experience the full magnitude of Zafón’s astounding talent as a master storyteller, and I can’t emphasize this highly enough, it is mandatory for you to read all four books in this series. Picture: The Labyrinth of the Spirits VII: Ariadna and The Scarlet Prince by Vincent Chong [image] The Labyrinth of the Spirits is the fourth and final volume in The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I can only speak from my own experience, although it has been stated that you can begin your journey through this series from whichever installment, I strongly suggest you read it in publication order. I personally believe that the key points, characterizations, and revelations would work so much better this way. The story in The Labyrinth of the Spirits mostly follows the tale of Alicia Gris, at least for the first half, as she tries to unravel the most shocking conspiracies in the history of Spain. I was surprised by this at first, but knowing Zafón, I immediately knew there was no need to worry; nothing he writes in this quartet was ever redundant, everything is always important. The Labyrinth of the Spirits is the biggest book in the series, and Zafón had time to build and develop a new story—that’s how it seemed at first anyway—and characters from scratch before connecting all the dots that shaped the tapestry of tragedy, regrets, ambition, and love. It is a bittersweet tale that utilizes everything established in the previous three books; stories within stories, passion for books, reading, writing, and many more, eventually ending these extraordinary stories with an extremely satisfying conclusion. “You’d be surprised at how often one looks in the present or in the future for answers that are always in the past.” The Cemetery of Forgotten Books is a series filled with well-written characters that are deeply flawed and complex. Daniel Sempere, Fermin, Bea, David Martin, Alicia Gris, many more characters I refrain from mentioning to avoid spoilers, and I’m happy to say that their respective stories reached a proper closure here. All of the characters throughout the series, one way or another, played an irreplaceable role in this maze of lives and destiny. The characters have become so real to me that the appearances/mentioning of their names sparked invoked a reaction; I was scared for them, I cared about their journey, and during their pursuits of better lives and truths, the heartbreaking revelations they stumbled upon… hurts. When the memories buried under mountains of silence resurface and act as a harbinger of pain instead of light, my heart actually broke together with the characters; I was stunned. “Nobody must know what I have explained here. Nobody must know the truth, because I’ve learned that in this world truth only hurts, and God loves and helps those who lie.” That’s how engrossed I was by the stories and characters that Zafón has crafted throughout this novel and quartet. These broken souls have gone through many gangrenes of hope, and I genuinely want them to find happiness. Whether they truly find happiness or not, you should read the series and find out for yourself. “Sometimes, when the gods aren’t looking and destiny loses its way, even good people get a taste of good luck in their lives.” There isn’t much more I can say regarding the magnificence of this novel without elaborating upon spoilery details, and I don’t want that; I want you to be surprised and amazed by Zafón’s masterful storytelling just like I did. However, allow me one more opportunity to praise Zafón and Lucia Graves’ translation. As always, the prose was utterly unputdownable, atmospheric, immersive, and evocative. For the first time in the series, Zafón uses both third-person and first-person narration told from the perspective of multiple characters, and this helps demonstrates the complexity and astounding accomplishment that Zafón has achieved with his large-scale stories. Juggling and showing events from multiple characters instead of just one this time definitely boost the strengths of the narrative immeasurably. I found Zafon’s prose to be highly relatable, and as always, there were a myriad of quotes I highlighted throughout the novel that I wish I can share with you. Unfortunately, I can’t; the quantity would require a section of its own. “A painting is never finished. The trick is to know at what point to leave it unfinished.” Picture: The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Vincent Chong [image] I have traversed through these labyrinths of stories, and I will conclude by saying that I loved this finale even more than the critically acclaimed The Shadow of the Wind. This novel is a brilliant masterwork that every reader must read; Zafón has concluded The Cemetery of Forgotten Books terrifically. I’ll even go as far as claiming that The Labyrinth of the Spirits is my number one favorite non-SFF novel at the moment. The gigantic puzzle constructed by words throughout the series has reached its spellbinding completion. Thrilling mystery, compelling narrative, endearing characters, and engaging prose have been demonstrated effortlessly. Not a single page of this 800 pages novel was dull to me, and I feel both satisfied and sorrowful that the time of farewell is here. Goodbye for now The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, I’m confident we’ll meet again. Thank you to Lucia Graves for the superb English translation, and most of all, thank you to Carlos Ruiz Zafón for writing such an outstanding series. “Stories have no beginning and no end, only doors through which one may enter them. Series Review: The Shadow of the Wind = 4.5/5 stars The Angel's Game = 4.5/5 stars The Prisoner of Heaven = 4.5/5 stars The Labyrinth of the Spirits = 5/5 stars The Cemetery of Forgotten Books = 18.5/20 stars 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, Devin, Hamad, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jun 2020
|
Jun 05, 2020
|
Mar 05, 2020
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
1509813020
| 9781509813025
| 1509813020
| 4.45
| 7,806
| Apr 02, 2020
| Apr 02, 2020
|
it was amazing
|
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo ARC provided by the publisher—Pan Macmillan—in exchange for an honest I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo ARC provided by the publisher—Pan Macmillan—in exchange for an honest review. A Time of Courage is one of the best final books to a series I’ve ever read in my life. It was truly a bittersweet, satisfying, and masterfully crafted finale to conclude Of Blood and Bone and the entirety of The Banished Lands saga. Permit me to start this review with words from Gwynne himself: “So, finally we come to the end of this series, and with it, the end of the Banished Land’s tales. Although Of Blood and Bone is a trilogy that can be read as a standalone series, it is also the final chapter of a longer history that involves the four books from The Faithful and the Fallen series. When read together they form around a one-hundred-and-fifty-year history of the Banished Lands, and a sizeable chunk of my life. Roughly seventeen years have flown by, I think, since lifting my pen and writing down my first ideas. I hope that you’ve enjoyed your time spent here, and that this book feels like a fitting and satisfying conclusion to all that has gone before.” And what a marvelously fitting conclusion it was. A Time of Courage is the third and final book in the Of Blood and Bone series; it is also the seventh novel that takes place in The Banished Lands saga. Gwynne has mentioned it already, A Time of Courage can be defined as a culmination of the previous six books. Honestly, A Time of Courage feels more like the end of a seven-book series rather than the conclusion of the new trilogy. The final battle is here, and alliances from the entire world have to be gathered and united. It is time for the guardians of justice to unsheathe everything in their power and strengthen their bravery in the upcoming final epic battle of light versus darkness. One out of several things about A Time of Courage that elevated the spectacular quality of the trilogy to a higher level is the return to the tone exhibited in The Faithful and the Fallen. The previous two books in the trilogy—A Time of Dread and A Time of Blood—have been relatively darker in tone, while A Time of Courage read like a return to storytelling style in The Faithful and the Fallen. In this final installment, Gwynne tells a grim story but the themes of hope, love, legacy, friendship, camaraderie, truth, and courage never leave the core of the narrative. I loved this book so much. As a fan of all of Gwynne’s books, it would be an understatement to say that I was emotional during my time of reading through it. A Time of Courage, to no one’s surprise, earned its place on my “favorites” shelf; it is the most heart-breaking, intense, and by far the most action-packed installment in the scintillating trilogy. “That what we fight for is love and friendship. Not schemes and strategies, but people. Our kind, our friends. Our loved ones.” Following my tradition of reviewing Gwynne’s books, I’ll refrain from mentioning the names of the characters to make this review as spoiler-free as possible. It’s ridiculously astounding just how well Gwynne, once again, nailed the characterizations of his cast with absolute precision, even more so for the new characters compared to the previous two books. In my opinion, Gwynne’s immense talent for writing characters that become real in my mind is undisputedly one of the best in the genre. The characters have endured a lot of hardship, rage, and grief; their feelings were powerfully palpable. I have praised Gwynne’s characterizations for six novels/reviews now; consider this the seventh because his talent with characterizations remains towering strong with each new book he publishes. Take a look at this short line of thoughts that immediately summed up one of the main character’s personality: “How have I come to be here, standing before a horde of snarling creatures who want to kill me? I don’t even like crowds.” It may look simple, but the passage immediately conveys a message to the readers that this particular character isn’t good with crowds and most likely is a reluctant hero. Also, I want to use this review to once again urge you to read The Faithful and the Fallen first before you read A Time of Courage. I genuinely feel sad when I hear that readers are reading this trilogy without finishing the first series first. I can’t even begin to emphasize how much you’re missing out if you read this book without having read through the first series; the knowledge and experience acquired from reading The Faithful and the Fallen is what elevates this fantastic trilogy to an exceptionally spellbinding series. Not only do the names and returning characters from the first series have a more prominent role in the narrative here, but you would also be missing the tremendous emotional resonance and significance of the story that can only be experienced by reading the first series beforehand. I’m serious, even the mere utterance of names of the characters from the first series felt, to me, like hearing about real friends who I can’t see anymore. As I mentioned, Gwynne writes characters that become real in my head. I—along with many readers—have lived the journey of the characters in The Faithful and the Fallen, many of the characters have passed away because the story in Of Blood and Bone takes place more than 130 years after the events of Wrath, but hearing their names, legends, and legacy lives on and constantly mentioned tugged at my heartstrings in a way that I didn’t think would be possible. Please, I beg you to do yourself a favor and read them first. There are still three months before the official release date of this amazing culmination; I’m sure you have some time to treat yourself to read four superlative books that would heighten your reading experience of A Time of Courage. “We of the Order have sworn our oaths and sealed them in our blood, pledged ourselves to truth and courage. But you who have not said the words, I know that you are the same as us, in your hearts. Warriors, brothers and sisters bound to a cause. Otherwise you would not be here now, standing at ourside, risking your lives. This is the sharp edge of who we are. We will stand and fight, together. There is no retreat this time. We win or we die.” At the beginning of my review, I’ve mentioned that A Time of Courage is by far the most action-packed installment in the trilogy; this is true, and it is also the most epic and action-packed book Gwynne has ever written. The riveting action sequences are back and stronger than ever. Prepare yourself to be enthralled by the breathtaking battle scenes of magnificence without any pause or mute button; once you opened the first page of A Time of Courage, the brilliantly immersive battle scenes will fully compel you to read this book to its completion. Remember the 160 pages long final war in Wrath? Gwynne increased that page count into approximately 200 pages in the final war of A Time of Courage. If you add that page count to the entire battle scenes spread throughout the book, you’ll have more than 400 pages of terrifically written battle scenes in total, and most importantly, none of them ever felt tedious to read, not even once. “Truth and Courage. Those are the words that define a warrior of this Order. They are more than words; they are a way of life. Would you choose them? You will be swearing to a life of hardship, a life where you put aside your own pleasures and desires, and place yourself in danger’s way. Again, and again, and again.” Gwynne is a virtuoso epic fantasy writer; he writes compelling storylines, empathizing characters, and he’s a genius at writing close-quarter battle scenes, either large-scale or small-scale. Seriously, seven novels now and there’s no sign of him slowing down the meteoric rise of his craftsmanship. He loves writing battle scenes. It shows, and he excels at it. Gwynne summoned intricate tempestuous devastations and unstoppable maelstroms of annihilations in his actions; bloody wrath and grim vengeance poured into the pages of this stunning narrative. The ruthless tactics employed were cunning, the brutal ground onslaughts were destructive, and the savage aerial combats were adrenaline-charged. Armies of monochrome wings filled the sky, battalions of ruin shook the land, azure flames conflagrate, and a storm of steels sang throughout the battlefield. “Sometimes the only answer is blood and steel.” It is worth noting that the last war in this book featured Gwynne at his utmost best. With his trademarked peerless cinematic perspective changes, Gwynne displayed the calamitous obliteration caused on both opposing sides. Compiling deaths and corpses from both opposing forces at the rapid rate of an Elemental disaster, the final war to end the Long War was a catastrophic clash of humans, steel, arrows, magic, animals, draigs, giants, Revenants, Ferals, Ben-Elim, and Kadoshims. The participants of the concluding battle reached a staggering number in the tens of thousands, and their compulsion for retribution and glory brought forth a plethora of chaotic explosions of blood and bone. Everything about A Time of Courage was maximally epic, elating, heart-shattering, jaw-dropping, and glorious. It has everything I want in a finale, it has everything I want in epic fantasy, and I can’t wait for the rest of the world to read this crimson behemoth of epic that certified A Time of Courage as the most epic installments in the entire saga. You heard that right; I’m not saying this lightly, the finale in Wrath was more poignant but A Time of Courage was more epic in every possible way. “The defender of the innocent, protector of the weak. I will bring hope to the lost, give my life for the helpless... With truth as my shield... And Courage as my sword, I shall stand against the darkness. It’s still January, but I might have found my favorite book of the year already. A Time of Courage was one of the two most anticipated books of the year for me, the other one being the fourth installment in The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson, and let me tell that you that it will be highly difficult for even Sanderson to overcome the greatness of A Time of Courage. A 5 out of 5 stars rating won’t do this book justice. Just like Wrath, A Time of Courage is epic fantasy at its best; it’s a masterpiece that deserves a 6 out of 5 stars rating, simple as that. I’ve been repeating this statement over and over again, and I have to repeat it once more that if you’re an epic fantasy reader and somehow you still haven’t read any of Gwynne’s work, fix that mistake now. If you postpone reading the tales in The Banished Lands, know that you’re delaying yourself reading one of the finest—and completed—epic fantasy tomes out there. In fact, I’m confident enough to claim that the seven books in The Banished Lands saga, as a whole, is one of the best completed fantasy series of all time that I’ve read so far. Yes, I loved the entirety of these seven books as much as I loved The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb and Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. Please do yourself a favor and read both The Faithful and the Fallen and the Of Blood and Bone series; they are absolute master class epic fantasy, and they deserve to be read by every enthusiast of the genre. “We are just people, all of us the same. Flawed, fragile, stubborn, angry, happy. And life treats no one differently. We are born, and we live, and then we die. It’s what we do while we are there that counts. And if we can be called friend, then we are lucky indeed. The Banished Lands is one of my favorite fictional worlds, and it may have become almost too real in my mind. That’s why it also feels bittersweet to read this book. The tales of The Banished Lands end here, at least for now. Gwynne’s next book, The Dragons Unchained, will be a new story in a completely new series called The Bloodsworn Saga. Undoubtedly, this is already in the list of my most anticipated books of 2021. A new journey awaits, and I will be there. I hope you will join Gwynne’s Warband of readers, too. Years from now, the eternal legends of the Banished Lands will still be sung, and we’ll be the choir that sang its song of origin. Thank you, John Gwynne. You’re truly one of the greatest fantasy authors of all time. Thank you for writing these legendary stories for us to read. Congratulations, and I look forward to seeing where your imagination goes next. Truth and Courage. Petrik Leo Self-proclaimed Chronicler of the Order of the Bright Star Series Review: A Time of Dread: 5/5 stars A Time of Blood: 5/5 stars A Time of Courage: 5/5 stars Of Blood and Bone: 15/15 stars Official release date: 2nd April 2020 (UK) and 7th April 2020 (US) 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, Devin, Hamad, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 15, 2020
|
Jan 18, 2020
|
Sep 26, 2019
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
035651059X
| 9780356510590
| 035651059X
| 4.64
| 29,193
| Nov 30, 2021
| Nov 30, 2021
|
it was amazing
|
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review. Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best books I’ve ever read. Jade Legacy i ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review. Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best books I’ve ever read. Jade Legacy is an all-around masterpiece that certified The Green Bone Saga as my top favorite completed trilogy of all time. “Good men are remembered with love by their friends… Great warriors are remembered with awe by their enemies.” This review won’t do this book justice. Lee must’ve channeled—she must be a true Green Bone warrior—real magic to finish writing this ambitious concluding installment. Jade City and Jade War are some of the best books to exist in modern fantasy. I loved them so much, and my love for the previous two books in the series skyrocketed my anticipation and expectations for Jade Legacy. High expectation isn’t a healthy mindset to adapt as it tends to lead to disappointment. But occasionally, a special book can meet—and even exceed—those expectations. Jade Legacy is that kind of special book. Jade Legacy is unbelievably better than the previous—already superb—two books, and it’s a novel that’s equally traumatizing but more superior to the legendary A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. There, I’ve said it. Tragic, soul-crushing, but also hopeful and filled with love. Enrich and break your soul; read this trilogy to its conclusion as soon as possible. If that’s still not enough to convince you, proceed to read my feeble attempt to write a review for this masterwork. “When something has to be done, there’s always a way to do it.” If you’ve followed Fonda Lee’s or Orbit’s social media, you should know by now that one of the reasons why Jade Legacy is an ambitious undertaking is due to the time span the plot requires. The story in Jade Legacy begins a few months after the end of Jade War, and the entirety of it spans more than two decades and multiple time skips. This is not an easy feat to do. The final book of a series usually doesn’t do this; it’s unconventional, and multiple time skips mean we—as readers—don’t get to read many events that the characters experienced. In some worse cases, they make the story feel disjointed, and they could end up halting organic character development. But rest assured, none of these applied to Jade Legacy. The multiple time skips give such an epic feel to the narrative. Plus, Lee always managed to fill in these gaps with crucial and necessary information at a terrifying efficiency and effectiveness. It’s insane. It’s nothing short of miraculous, and it worked. It bloody worked. “Everything is a battle now… Every business, every town, every newspaper article or press conference or godsdamned vote in the Royal Council… There used to be a way things were done, under the eyes of Old Uncle. We used to be able to count on certain things. Now there aren’t any lines. Everyone in the clan is a part of the fight.” The multiple time skips allowed Lee to tell a meticulously crafted novel that’s divided into four unforgettable parts. A story arc division isn’t something special; a lot of speculative fictions novel have done this. There’s, however, something different and impressive about each story part in Jade Legacy; every one of them felt like a novel on its own. Reading Jade Legacy is equivalent to reading a tetralogy. I’m serious. The first quarter of this book already made me feel like I went through an entire fantasy novel worth of reading; so many of my emotions were bled for these characters already. I’ve read plenty of trilogies with lesser emotional weight compared to the first quarter of this book, and I do honestly think the first quarter of Jade Legacy was already better than many trilogies I’ve read. It is THAT good, and it constantly gets more heart-wrenching, intense, and scintillating. “No matter which part of the country you’re from, which clan you swear allegiance to, whether you wear jade or not, we are all Kekonese. We defend and avenge our own. You wrong any of us, you wrong us all. You seek to war with us, and we will return it a hundredfold.” This means every act in Jade Legacy has a magnificent beginning, build-up, and climax sequence. The scope of the storyline is much bigger than its predecessors; reading this book made me feel like my heart went through an internal natural disaster multiple times. Yes, this book is an emotional bloodbath. In this heartrending story filled with themes about family, reconciliation, trust, legacy, sacrifice, power, money, and war, I‘ve shockingly let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, and I’ve sagged like a melting potato. When the characters watched the news with dread, when they grieved, I felt all of that. Lee’s capability to shift a peaceful situation to a catastrophic event in a flash is just impeccable. And at the core of all its greatness, what elevated Jade Legacy to a masterpiece status was the extremely well-realized characters and characterizations. “We don’t handle this world. We make it handle us.” Personally speaking, with all my heart and confidence, I’m going to say that Kaul Hiloshudon has become one of my favorite characters of all time. Fonda Lee has done such an outstanding job in creating and building Hilo’s tremendous character development. If you’ve followed my reviews for years, you might know that Kaladin Stormblessed from The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite protagonists of all time. Hilo, to me, is on that same level as Kaladin. Hilo is not perfect; he’s flawed in many ways, but he’s also passionate, inspiring, and despite his flaws and temperament, he always tries his best to become a better version of himself. “It was Kaul Hilo’s great talent. He could have a single ordinary conversation with a man and make him loyal for life.” Well, I didn’t have a single ordinary conversation with him; it felt like I’ve known him for years through reading this trilogy. And I know it’s not fair of me to mention only Hilo. This masterful level of characterizations was applied to MANY other characters in the trilogy. The Green Bone Saga is an epic urban fantasy. It’s a gangster family saga featuring a LOT of key characters; Jade Legacy has more than ten POV characters, and whether they appeared briefly or not, every one of them has an undeniably distinct voice and characterizations. I’m not kidding; the characterizations in Jade Legacy is an absolute marvel. It’s definite that Lee understands her characters inside and outside. “We’ve both hurt each other because we were both too stubborn about what we expected, and we paid badly for that. But what’s the point of life if we give up on the people we love?” Hilo aside, there were more than ten characters in this trilogy that I would consider as my favorite characters as well. Whether it’s out of love, belief, or personal reasons, the conflicts and clash of ideals felt believable. And they all made mistakes; sometimes, my favorite characters—Hilo included—made decisions I don’t agree with, and that’s okay. I don’t have to agree with everything my favorite characters do to love them. The contrast in their virtues and flaws just made them more genuine and authentic as a character. If you can’t tell by now, the characters in The Green Bone Saga are real to me, and I feel like I’ve really known them and their personality. Understanding, forgiveness, loyalty, overcoming weaknesses are all integral in the development of these characters. The love, hatred, admiration the characters have for their loved or hated ones felt palpable; I wish I could elaborate and tell you what made each character—one by one—in this series so compelling. But it would make this review longer than it already is, and I risk the possibility of this review going beyond the allowed word count on Goodreads. “We all make mistakes. Sometimes terrible mistakes we can barely live with. But we learn from them. And maybe… Maybe we can forgive each other.” I can, however, tell you one essential element that Lee employed to heighten the tension and stakes of the series: the character’s actions—from the previous books and this book—have consequences. Actions and decisions in this series matter. This is something that Fonda Lee emphasized in the narrative, and she wields it like a clean blade to incite incredible effect. Repercussions from the events of Jade City and Jade War were monumental; the chain of events build-up were terrific, and pivotal—or relatively small—decisions often result in permanent consequences. One out of many examples, I never expected a few nobodies from the first book would become some of the most memorable supporting characters here. Not only Lee isn’t afraid to kill off or damage her characters brutally, but the powerful emotional investment I have with the characters of the trilogy also enhanced the dangers in the narrative even further. The characters in Jade Legacy suffered a LOT. And before we get to reach the peerless finale, we’re guaranteed to suffer together with them first. “Perhaps that was the great tragedy of jade warriors and their families. Even when we win, we suffer.” It’s easy to praise Lee’s vivid and savage battle scenes; she’s one of the best combat scenes writers in the genre. Since Jade City, the hard magic system revolved around jade rely on six abilities: Deflection, Perception, Lightness, Channeling, Strength, Steel. And these abilities never get old. It’s amazing what Lee can do with these six abilities by adding martial arts, guns, cars, airships, and explosives to it. Every tempestuous violence in Jade Legacy always felt refreshing, pulse-pounding, and cinematic. This is one of a few fantasy series that could work wonderfully adapted as manga, anime, video games, TV shows, or movies; take your pick. So yes, her prose when it comes to the art of descending violence was extraordinary as always. But I need to highlight one more thing that Lee excels at, the dialogues. The quality of Lee’s expertise in dialogues is incalculable. “At times, when faced with difficult decisions, he would think back to the duel that had dramatically earned him his jade and reputation, and he would remind himself that sometimes the most obvious solution required only the willingness to take the most unreasonable of actions.” Similar to the heart-pounding battle scenes, the conversations between characters frequently have stakes, murderous intent, or emotional weight imbued into them. Negotiations always felt perilous; instant oblivion waits for them at all times. Blood must be paid with blood, and one wrong word or sentence uttered could invite immediate ruin. This is Lee’s design for devastating conflicts: supercharged battle scenes and dialogues. I totally loved reading Lee’s prose; they all flow so smoothly to me. The pacing was unputdownable, the plotline and actions were breathtaking, the world-building was intricate, and the character’s arc was so immensely rewarding. I’ve shared a lot of quotes in this review, and I wish I could share more of these gems with you because I’ve actually highlighted 48 passages. But I can’t due to spoilers. You should read the book as soon as possible and find out for yourself. Do it! “The mind cannot adjust quickly to a fundamental change in reality without breaking. If the moon vanished from the sky, people would not believe it; they would think it was a trick of light or clouds.” I loved The Green Bone Saga so much that I reread both Jade City and Jade War first before I dive into Jade Legacy; as much as I want to, rereading isn’t something that I often do due to my infinite TBR pile. And it was so worth it; I know I’ll reread this divine trilogy over and over again. The ending stunned me completely; I sat and stared at an empty wall for hours. Fonda Lee’s exceptional achievement in creating Jade Legacy—and the entire trilogy—earn her a spot in the pantheon of fantasy greats with a commanding finality. I’ll give Jade Legacy 6 out of 5 stars if I could. I’ve read more than 500 fantasy books in my life, and Jade Legacy belongs in my top 10 books of all time. The words Lee crafted in The Green Bone Saga pierced through every armor in my heart with ease; my eyes turned glassy four times reading this superlative culmination. Jade Legacy is a supremely stunning and page-turning masterpiece, a novel that’s too good to be true but ended up being a reality. The Green Bone Saga has become my number one favorite completed trilogy of all time. No, you’re not reading that wrong; it’s at the number one spot. This urban epic fantasy has successfully dethroned my beloved Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson and The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington. Thank you so much, Fonda Lee. You have my utmost gratitude for writing this series. I’m a clan loyalist for life. The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master. Under the eyes of all the gods in Heaven, I pledge this. On my honor, my life, and my jade. “And here we are. So many good things have happened since then, and also so many terrible things that it’s hard to be afraid of anything anymore. Whatever’s going to happen will happen, so the most important thing is that we appreciate what we have and the people we care about.” Series review: Jade City: 5/5 stars Jade War: 5/5 stars Jade Legacy: 5/5 stars The Green Bone Saga: 15/15 stars Official release date: 30th November 2021 (US) & 2nd December 2021 (UK) 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 | 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, Neeraja, Nicholas, Oliver, ReignBro, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Shaad, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Oct 11, 2021
|
Oct 14, 2021
|
Aug 19, 2019
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
9781955252379
| 4.47
| 38,917
| Feb 19, 2019
| 2023
|
it was amazing
|
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here! ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars from start to finish for this excep I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here! ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars from start to finish for this exceptional Japanese-inspired military fantasy standalone. As of this moment, The Sword of Kaigen has become not only one of the four best self-published books I’ve ever read but also my personal number one favorite self-published book.It is a true masterpiece. This is one of those books where I just want to write “Please buy it and read it. It’s fucking amazing!” as my entire review. This book came out of nowhere, and it totally stole my heart. If you’ve been following my reviewing progress, you probably know that I like to keep and show my personal stats and facts on books I’ve read and reviewed. After The Mirror’s Truth by Michael R. Fletcher, We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson, and Never Die by Rob J. Hayes, The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang became the fourth self-published book that I’ve rated with a full 5 stars. I honestly didn’t expect to love this book that much, but I was madly engrossed by every page. Trust me, you’ll want to pre-order this book right now. I already did; it’s only $0.99 at the moment on Amazon for god sake! (More info on the amazing bonuses that come with the pre-order at the bottom of this review.) “A life of dangerous adventures might seem worth it now, when you are young and seemingly invincible, but one day, you will have children, and you will not want that life for them.” The Sword of Kaigen is M.L. Wang’s first adult high fantasy book, a standalone companion prequel to her Theonite series, and this was absolutely incredible. It’s an Eastern Asian (mostly Japanese) inspired military fantasy, and I loved this book deeply from cover to cover. The official blurb on Goodreads and Amazon did a great job explaining the premise of the book without spoiling anything, so please feel free to check there if you want to know more. Let’s begin with what I loved about this book. I’ll start by saying I seriously flipped (or swiped) through this book insanely fast. The Sword of Kaigen is brimming with seductive pacing and it was truly unputdownable. Every moment I wasn’t reading it, I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen next. From deadly propaganda to non-stop escalating suspense and superb character developments, Wang did a fantastic job in making sure that every chapter has something important happening. No pages were wasted; the book was utterly tension-packed and contained a very endearing cast. “Listen, son… when I was your age, I had to face truths that seemed to break the world. That’s what happens when you come into contact with people who aren’t quite like you. You learn over time that the world isn’t broken. It’s just… got more pieces to it than you thought. They all fit together, just maybe not the way you pictured when you were young.” I’m serious here. I’ve said countless times before that I prioritize characterization over everything else, and a crystal clear talent for characterization has been displayed since the first chapter. The two main characters, Mamoru and Misaki, were extremely well-written; but what amazed me further was how in-depth the characterizations were for EVERY character in this book. The characters are flawed, and none of them stay the same as they were at the beginning of the story. Picture: Mamoru by Tara Spruit (@taratjah) [image] Mamoru’s development in the face of the harsh revelation regarding everything he believed was astounding. Reading about his growth, struggle, and determination in living up to his name (Mamoru is Japanese for ‘protect’) was something I immensely enjoyed. But as much as I loved Mamoru, I have to give my biggest praises to Wang for her stunning achievement in writing Misaki. Picture: Misaki by Tara Spruit (@taratjah) [image] The natural and gradual development in her characterization and relationship with her family compelled me to be heavily invested in her storyline. She has become one of my favorite heroines in fantasy, and I was also thoroughly impressed by the awesome and wholesome female friendship nurtured in this book. The characters in this novel taught me the meaning of facing hardships together, and how crucial family, friendship, love, adulthood, and parenthood are in the face of disaster. These and the terror of war were the main themes of The Sword of Kaigen, and they were expertly delivered to the reader with finesse. “I’ve never needed a sword to protect you—to raise you the way your father wanted. Caring for my family meant putting away the fighter, so I did.” The world-building was intricately crafted; the clothing, honorifics, attitudes, older Japanese customs, and languages used were all spot-on. I found the world-building and setting to be quite unique. It’s like an alternate Earth imbued with high fantasy elements rather than a totally new world. Planes and technologies were in the book. The languages that the characters spoke were literally Japanese and Mandarin in our world. I may be wrong here, but the name of the Planet, Duna, may have come from the Indonesian word for ‘planet’: Dunia. Although a different kind of book, this book also serves really well as a rival opposite to The Poppy War in world-building. In The Poppy War, the Nikara Empire (Chinese) was invaded by the Federation of Mugen (Japanese), and the main character there employed fire magic. In The Sword of Kaigen, the Kaigenese Empire (Japanese) was invaded by the Ranganese (Chinese), and the main character here used water/ice magic. As a Chinese person who devours Japanese culture and media on a daily basis, I’m totally satisfied by the evident amount of research Wang has done for her world-building, and I thank her for it. Picture: Planet Duna by Charis Loke [image] To say that this book was thrilling is an understatement. I’m not joking. The Sword of Kaigen is one of the most intense books I’ve ever read. I gritted my teeth, I clenched my fist, and I was constantly breathless. Wang knows how to write catastrophic elemental magic and implement extraordinary heart-hammering scenes very effectively. If you love The Poppy War, shonen anime/manga, or elemental magic battles—Avatar: The Last Airbender, for example—you seriously have to read this book. Ice magic, wind magic, blood manipulation, and terrific duels; without writing skills of a certain caliber, the battles in this book could’ve been really frantic and too hard to follow. However, that wasn’t the case with this novel because Wang’s prose was easy and delightful to read. Her prose may not be poetic, but it is vivid, simple, and flows without any obstruction. Picture: The Sword of Kaigen by Felix Ortiz [image] Frankly, sometimes it even felt like I was reading Brandon Sanderson’s magical battles, and that’s one of the biggest praises I can ever give to any high fantasy author. Wang provided not only one but two climax sequences in The Sword of Kaigen; the first one began at approximately 35%, and the second one at the 75% mark of the book. I can say with certainty that both of them were stupendous in quality. Showing the raw and violent power of the magic systems, the calamity that appeared when the bloodline of the gods clashed was bloody destructive. I need to also mention that the book features one of the most memorable duels I’ve ever read in a fantasy novel. Not only was the duel itself magnificent in execution, but it was also so emotionally impactful that it formed unforgettably vivid images in my head. The Sword of Kaigen is a war story, a brutally pulse-pounding one. The great characterizations enhanced the sense of danger and impending loss the characters felt during and after the war. Bad things happen to good people and you WILL feel their palpable pain and tragedy. The piercing blade of ice will stab at your empathy, white snow will turn crimson, the summoning of the Whispering Blade will break your heart, and you will beg for more because you won’t be able to stop reading the book until you’ve reached the satisfying conclusion. “But if I learned one thing from Firebird, it’s that a person’s tragedy doesn’t define them or cancel all the good in their life.” The Sword of Kaigen is an excellent Japanese-inspired military fantasy in all its glory. Written with words sharpened to fatal edges that cut straight to the heart with merciless precision; full of colossal frigid blasts that freeze its suspenseful familial drama and outstanding action scenes into the reader’s memory; emotionally demonstrating the terrifying truth of the atrocity of a devastating war that left incurable scars to the fictional characters who have become real to me. All of these components combined to make this book my first 5—and 6—out of 5-star read of the year. I’m only five days into January at the time of writing this review, and I already know that this superlative book will not only be in my ‘best books of the year’ list by the end of the year but it will also be listed as one of the best books I’ve ever read. In my list of brilliant and favorite self-published books, The Sword of Kaigen stands tall at the top of the mountain, and I honestly have no idea when or if another self-published novel will steal its rightful spot. Without any shred of doubt, this was a phenomenal read, and I will recommend this glistening jewel of a novel to every adult fantasy reader from now on. If you’re a fan of The Poppy War, read it. If you’re a fan of military fantasy, read it. If you’re a fan of high fantasy, read it! “Wholeness, she had learned, was not the absence of pain but the ability to hold it.” Sidenote regarding Pre-Order bonus: This pre-order currently is priced at $0.99 and ALL entrants (worldwide) who pre-order will receive cool bonus swag. Details here: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog... Official release date: 19th February 2019 You can pre-order this book from: Amazon | 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 ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Jan 13, 2024
Jan 02, 2019
|
Jan 19, 2024
Jan 04, 2019
|
Dec 30, 2018
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||||
0765389908
| 9780765389909
| 0765389908
| 4.44
| 2,707
| Jul 06, 2021
| Jul 06, 2021
|
it was amazing
|
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo ARC provided by the publishers—Tor Books & Tor UK—in exchange for an h I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo ARC provided by the publishers—Tor Books & Tor UK—in exchange for an honest review. The Empire’s Ruin is a scintillating explosive epic fantasy with multiple legendary scenes that rivaled The Way of Kings. It’s been four years since Staveley’s previous book—the spin-off prequel to the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne trilogy—Skullsworn was published. The Empire’s Ruin marked Staveley’s return to the Annurian Empire and beyond. Yes, this is a continuation of the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series by Brian Staveley. I’ve read all of Staveley’s books; I’m a fan of the main trilogy, but I became a HUGE fan of his books because of Skullsworn. This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and Staveley exceeded my expectations as high as a soaring kettral. Before I get down to what made The Empire’s Ruin so amazing, I will first answer the question: can this be read without reading the previous books? It depends on each reader, but I personally say no; you will be missing out on so much important context, nuance, and character development even if the main story itself is technically a new storyline. To give a few popular examples, are you okay with reading Iron Gold by Pierce Brown without reading the first trilogy? Are you okay with reading The Tawny Man trilogy by Robin Hobb without reading The Farseer trilogy first? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you can start reading from here without reading the previous books. I honestly can’t and won’t do it; as a reader, I need to read everything in publication/series order. This is not just for completion’s sake, but also to make sure I get every meat of the story and character’s journey. I will elaborate more on this below. “There were times to lie low, to watch and wait, to play the long game. And then there were times when you needed to light the world on fire and watch it explode.” The Empire’s Ruin is the first book in the Ashes of the Unhewn Throne trilogy. More than five years have passed since the end of The Last Mortal Bond, and the Annurian Empire is disintegrating. The number of kettral—giant war hawks—that the Kettral has in their arsenal has dwindled, and the kenta gates that allow instant travel across the vast empire can no longer be used. In order to save the empire, Gwenna Sharpe received a mission from the emperor to take a journey beyond the Annurian Empire—to Menkiddoc, a dangerous land that warps and poisons all living things—to find the possible nesting ground of the giant war hawks. Then there’s also Ruc’s survival story in Dombang, and in the meantime, Akiil—a monk turned con artist—may hold the secret to using the kenta gates. If you crave a new epic fantasy tome with a darker tone, this should be right up your alley. Clocking in at more than 300,000 words and almost 800 pages long, The Empire’s Ruin is a character-driven epic fantasy that magnificently displayed the themes of life, death, faith, leadership, loyalty, and overcoming failures. The three main POV characters have storylines that were mostly separate from each other, but I found all of them to be almost equally captivating; they can’t be equal due to Gwenna’s storyline being too top-notch. “Gwenna Sharpe was hardly the most skilled among the Kettral. Her own wing included stronger fighters, more proficient archers, superior tacticians. What set Sharpe apart, what made her the Wing’s true commander, was her unconquerable heart.” Gwenna Sharpe, oh Gwenna Sharpe. I honestly thought Staveley wouldn’t be able to craft a character that outshined Pyrre Lakatur, and I was proven wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I have always been a fan of Gwenna from the first trilogy, and I’m sure that sentiment has been echoed by a lot of readers as well. However, Staveley’s achievement in building Gwenna’s character through the brutal voyage in The Empire’s Ruin should earn him an award or two. It was so good. It was insanely good. Gwenna’s grand character arc was redolent of reading Kaladin’s story in The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson; this is not acclaims I give lightly. In fact, the words “The Way of Kings” were mentioned in this book; whether that’s intentional or not, I think it was so apt. “A path unfolded slowly. If you followed a path too far in the wrong direction all you had to do was turn around, start walking back the other way. What had happened to her felt more like a breakage. The right force had been applied at the right time in the right way, and something inside her had snapped, something that could not be put back.” Gwenna’s role and appearances in the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne were not infinitesimal in impact; she was practically one of the main characters, and she indeed became one in The Last Mortal Bond. That’s why I say it’s a necessity to read the first trilogy to fully appreciate the immense character’s development and growth that shaped Gwenna in this novel. She’s badass, foul-mouthed, unconquerable, and utterly inspiring. The Empire’s Ruin is not for the faint of heart; Gwenna encountered torment—both physically and mentally—numerous times. But I’m enthusiastic about reading broken characters that try their best to survive, rise from their failures, and fight no matter what. I have a soft spot for characters who have lost all hope but find something to fight for, usually sparked by unforeseen circumstances or relationships. And Gwenna’s relationship with the ragtag band of semi-strangers—Kiel, Rat, Cho Lu, Pattick, Bhuma Dhar—she met was a bright highlight of the book for me. After reading The Empire’s Ruin, I will say this: Gwenna has seriously become one of my favorite characters of all time, and she’s Staveley’s most well-crafted character. “You are the unfolding, Gwenna. You are the change. You are whatever it is that, in the face of misery and bliss and bafflement, keeps going.” As I‘ve mentioned, Gwenna’s story was just too spectacular, and from my perspective, she’s THE main character of this novel, but this doesn’t mean that the other character’s storylines were boring. The second main character is Ruc Lakatur Lan Lac; he’s a brand new character, but if you’ve read Skullsworn, you’ll know who he is. Ruc’s POV was quite likely the only one that you can read without reading the previous books first, but you would still benefit from reading Skullsworn because Ruc’s entire storyline takes place in Dombang—the setting of Skullsworn. Dombang is a terrifying place, and Staveley utilized Ruc’s POV chapters to show the decimation and conflicts that can be brought by faith. I loved reading the characterizations of Ruc and his development with Bien; their romance and survival stories always felt engaging to me. ‘“Every people has a story of their golden age. How it was different. Better. More noble. It’s funny how those golden ages are always in the past, always eclipsed by some more recent catastrophe. You think Dombang was better two hundred years ago, but go back two hundred years, and I promise you, the people then were just like us. They were angry, confused, afraid. And they thought that they’d already missed it, some golden age that took place two hundred years before them, or five hundred, or a thousand…” He turned from the stars to look at Ruc. “Instead of worshipping the past, I’d like to work on the present.” Akiil, on the other hand, didn’t have many appearances compared to Gwenna and Ruc. Akiil was Kaden’s friend and a side character in The Emperor’s Blades; similar to Gwenna’s POV chapters, reading the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne first will enhance Akiil’s POV. The reason behind this is that his story is intertwined heavily with one of the main characters from the first trilogy, and the Shin Monk, kenta gates, the concept of vaniate, and Csestriim are crucial elements of Staveley’s world-building. I wish there were more of Akiil’s chapters, and fortunately, judging from the convergence that occurred at the final chapters of his plot, I think we’ll get to witness that more in the sequel. “When had that ever not been true? She was no historian, but you didn’t need to be in order to see that the chronicle of the world was a chronicle of things going wrong, of plague and famine, slaughter, rebellion, greed and cowardice, human misery wide as the sea.” Venturing beyond the Annurian Empire to Menkiddoc and Dombang, then learning more about the Nevariim, Csestriim, monsters, leach, kettral, and more was a terrific reading experience. I’ve always felt that Staveley’s world-building could be expanded further, and he delivered what I wanted here. The Empire’s Ruin is both epic in scope and battle sequences. Praising Staveley’s action sequences in The Empire’s Ruin can be considered a challenge on its own. Why? Well, he didn’t just create one unforgettable scene, and he also didn’t create two; he wrote at least THREE incredibly iconic scenes that are on par with The Immortal Words scenes from The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. There’s the blood-crazed and pulse-pounding aerial battle; the bloodsoaked keelhauling scene; lastly, the entire final chapter that left me literally breathless. “Pain is a gift… It keeps the weary soldiers awake. It reminds the irresolute warrior that there is work still to finish. It whispers in the ear of all who feel it something they might otherwise forget: You are not dead.” The culmination of emotions, stakes, unpredictability, and intensity poured into the final chapter was absolutely mind-blowing. Additionally, I want to also briefly say that Jonon lem Jonon is one of the most despicable characters; I love to hate him. Every confrontation that involved Jonon was brimming with fury, chaos, and tension. I frankly don’t think this book would’ve been this awesome without the conflicts between Gwenna and Jonon. Staveley’s characterizations and actions were deadly precise, and this book shows once more why he’s—in my opinion—one of the best fantasy writers when it comes to prose’s quality. “You couldn’t think about it, all the world’s suffering, or it would choke you. If you stopped to ponder all that misery, you’d never start moving again.” Ever since I finished Skullsworn a few years ago, I’ve constantly praised Staveley’s prose; philosophical, memorable, and also beautiful and destructive. Staveley’s prose is exemplary, a gift to the fantasy genre, and I’m truly grateful I get the chance to read another epic fantasy novel from him. Sometimes, I believe that the greatness of prose in a fantasy novel can be measured by how many passages we end up highlighting. Well, I’ve certainly executed that course of action here; I’ve shared some of my favorites on this review, and I’ll present you with one more: “Life is an unwinnable fight, Gwenna Sharpe. If ends are all that matter, then we are all fools and failures.” I love epic fantasy so much, it is my favorite genre of books, and it’s always a blessing to me to be reminded just how excellent new fantasy releases can be. The dark brilliance of The Empire’s Ruin is inestimable. The ambitious blade of imagination that Staveley manifested in this novel surpassed my expectations in every possible way. Whether it’s the heart-hammering onslaughts, the savage battle sequences, the superb character development, or the enviable prose, everything about The Empire’s Ruin is undoubtedly a precious work of art. For almost a year now, my list of all-time favorite authors hasn’t increased, and it is with temerity and happiness I can include Brian Staveley as a worthy addition to the list. There’s still a few months before The Empire’s Ruin is officially released, and if you haven’t done it, I urge you to read the four books in the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne ASAP. Ashes of the Unhewn Throne is guaranteed to be a superior epic fantasy series compared to its predecessor. And I want you to experience The Empire’s Ruin—Staveley’s newest masterwork—at its height without missing any crucial development or details. Read the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, then read The Empire's Ruin. Thank me later. Official release date: 8th July 2021 (UK) and 6th July 2021 (US) You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping) | The Broken Binding (Use my code: NOVELNOTIONS121 for discount!) 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, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Apr 07, 2021
|
Apr 11, 2021
|
Oct 22, 2018
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
035650784X
| 9780356507842
| 035650784X
| 4.40
| 25,051
| Dec 10, 2019
| Dec 12, 2019
|
it was amazing
|
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review. The Light of All That Falls is an absolute marvel, a prodigious finishing touch t ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review. The Light of All That Falls is an absolute marvel, a prodigious finishing touch to an ingeniously plotted series. Here’s a little statistic to give you an idea of how much I loved this book and series. If you look at my Goodreads profile, you can take a look at my list of favorite authors. Inside this list are authors who have written three or more books—that I’ve read, of course—to be included in my “favorites” shelf. Before today—out of approximately four hundred books I’ve read—there were eight authors on this list. With one trilogy, and without a shadow of a doubt, I’m going to include James Islington as the ninth author to join my list of favorite authors. Binge reading this trilogy for the first time blew me away, and I’m already looking forward to rereading it in the future. If you stumbled upon this review without having read the previous books in the trilogy, rest assured that this review will be spoiler-free; no details regarding the plot will be mentioned. There is, however, a better option for you, pick up The Shadow of What Was Lost and begin binge-reading this astounding series. Now. “He stared over the expanse and then closed his eyes, feeling the soft breeze against his face and the gentle silence of the night. These quiet moments were too rare, and went unappreciated too often. How long had it been since he had just stopped and breathed? The past year had been a blur of pressing forward, of learning and planning and obsessing over all the different things he could try, going through every potential strategy and how likely it was to succeed or fail. In all that time, it hadn’t felt like he had once just…paused.” The Light of All That Falls is the third—and final—book in The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington. Unlike An Echo of Things to Come which starts immediately after the end of the first book, the story in The Light of All That Falls begins approximately one year after the end of the previous book. As much as I loved the previous two books, I do personally believe that The Light of All That Falls is, by far, the best book within the series; Islington has truly saved the best for last. I can’t emphasize how impressed I am by Islington’s feat of crafting this immense trilogy as his first series; it’s exceptionally well-plotted and complex. Complexities wise, in a different way and even though the two series are very different from each other, the complexities of The Licanius Trilogy was slightly reminiscent of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen. There are Gods, thousands of years of histories that affect the present predicament, immortals, powerful magics, and many more I’ll refrain from mentioning to avoid spoilers. The main differences between the two authors? Islington’s series has only three books rather than ten books, his writing is also less dense than Erikson’s and it’s also so much more accessible to read. I honestly had my doubts, there was a myriad unresolved storyline for Islington to close in one book, and he nailed it in an extremely satisfying manner; no stones left unturned. All three books in the trilogy are inextricably linked one way or another. Nothing is wasted in this series, simple as that. Every moment of foreshadowing—whether you realized them or not—from the first book are crucial to the all-encompassing story of the series. These are also why it’s quite mandatory to read this trilogy subsequently, or at least not far in between. There are a twenty pages long detailed summaries at the beginning of the books, and a twelve pages long glossary at the end—thank you, Islington and Orbit Books for this—but I’m not sure they would be enough for a series as complex as this if it has been years since you’ve read the previous books. This epic fantasy series with a huge focus on faith, morality, prejudices, fates, friendship, and love as its themes will require your concentration and commitment. And it’s worth your time. “Faithful people suffer and evil people prosper all the time, Davian—you must know that is true. Besides, if our actions are driven only by reward or punishment—eternal or otherwise—then they are motivated by greed and selfishness, not faith or love. That is where so many people go wrong, even those who say they believe in El. They obey because they think it will make their lives better, rather than themselves. And that is very much the wrong reason.” It’s astounding how much the main characters have developed throughout the series, and I grew to love all of them as more and more as I progressed through the story. The physical torment they’ve endured was brutal, and the spiritual conflicts they constantly faced were damaging. I wish I can elaborate more on why I’m so emotionally invested in the four main characters, but unfortunately, that would mean going spoiler-fiesta, and I don’t want to do that. Caeden, in particular, has become one of my favorite characters of all time. Caeden made the series shine the most to me. I know some readers will disagree with me on this, but in my opinion, the series—especially in An Echo of Things to Come and this book—has some of the best flashback sections I’ve ever read; they’re on par with The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson, maybe even better! The juxtapositions of the past and the present have an enormous effect on intensifying the quality of the narrative and the lessons embedded in it. Are we, as a human, guided by destiny? Has everything been pre-destined? Or is it our free will and choices that decide the final result? Islington raised thought-provoking questions and dilemmas regarding the concept of free will, choices, beliefs, redemption, and fates; I found them working incredibly well for the story and the characterizations. “I don’t doubt His existence, but how could I continue to love, worship, even just accept a god whose plan involved something so precious to me being ripped away?” The Light of All That Falls features the most stunning display of power within the series. I wouldn’t call The Licanius Trilogy a battle-focused series, at least not when compared to other epic fantasy series. However, this one definitely had plenty of thrilling action sequences. From daring escape, violent torture, pulse-pounding stealth, and explosive display of magic, there’s no shortage of breathtaking scenes and cruel destructions being demonstrated. The vortex of chaos rules, but the glimmering light remains, and the light strives for peace. The flow of the climax sequences—specifically the final 100 pages—was a supercharged adrenaline rush reading experience. I mean it, I was so engrossed that I forgot to have my lunch, not even hunger could stop me from reading. Need I say more on how gripping and climatic it was? “It is not enough to fight for the right side. You have to figure out how to fight the right way, too. If winning is truly all that matters, then we’ve lost sight of what’s actually right and wrong in the first place.” This is hands down a spectacular conclusion enhanced by one of the most jaw-dropping epilogues I’ve come across, Islington efficaciously delivered an immaculate full-circle tale with expertise that matches the best of the best authors in the genre. I loved this book and series with all my heart. Heart-wrenching, tension-packed, meticulously crafted, riveting, and gloriously epic, The Light of All That Falls is an unforgettable superlative concluding installment; a page-turning classic fantasy with a modern voice that immediately earns Islington his place among the pantheon of greatest epic fantasy authors, and I’m seriously incapable of imagining a better ending for this mind-blowing series than what’s written here. To Islington, bravo for such a truly spectacular feat, especially for a debut trilogy. I’ll be waiting patiently for the next book you write, and I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that the magnificence of this series is an echo of great things to come in your career as an author. Series Review: The Shadow of What Was Lost: 4.5/5 stars An Echo of Things to Come: 5/5 stars The Light of All That Falls: 5/5 stars The Licanius Trilogy: 14.5/15 stars [image] P.S: The cover art of this series is nothing short of outstanding. Well done to the cover artist, Dominick Saponaro, and I hope he’ll be hired to do Islington’s books again in the future. You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free 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, Devin, Hamad, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 17, 2020
|
Feb 20, 2020
|
Sep 14, 2018
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
0575095962
| 9780575095960
| 0575095962
| 4.60
| 29,672
| Sep 14, 2021
| Sep 14, 2021
|
it was amazing
|
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!
|
1
|
Sep 14, 2021
|
Sep 16, 2021
|
Aug 25, 2018
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
0008412766
| 9780008412760
| 0008412766
| 4.54
| 799,239
| Aug 08, 2000
| Nov 12, 2020
|
it was amazing
|
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!
|
1
|
Jan 24, 2019
|
Jan 29, 2019
|
Aug 13, 2018
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
0356510530
| 9780356510538
| 0356510530
| 4.41
| 37,634
| Jul 23, 2019
| Jul 25, 2019
|
it was amazing
|
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!
|
2
|
Oct 02, 2021
Jul 10, 2019
|
Oct 06, 2021
Jul 13, 2019
|
May 27, 2018
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
Liu, Ken
*
| 1481424300
| 9781481424301
| 1481424300
| 4.35
| 7,430
| Oct 04, 2016
| Oct 04, 2016
|
it was amazing
|
A mind-blowing masterpiece. The Wall of Storms is the best second book of a series I’ve read since Words of Radiance. "Hope was the currency that neA mind-blowing masterpiece. The Wall of Storms is the best second book of a series I’ve read since Words of Radiance. "Hope was the currency that never ran out, and it was the fate of the poor to toil and endure, wasn't it?" Hopeful and inadequate. That's how I feel right now writing this review. It doesn't matter how hard I try, it is a futile attempt to capture all the brilliance of this masterwork in a review, but I shall try and hope I can attract more readers into trying this book and series. It's been almost six years since The Wall of Storms, the second book in The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu came out, and it's ridiculous how a book as good as this is still so under hyped. After reading more than 500 epic fantasy books, it's getting harder and harder to feel completely enthralled, hooked, immersed, and transported to a different world. The Wall of Storms did that for me. It made me remember why I continue to love reading epic fantasy. I loved The Grace of Kings, but The Wall of Storms enacted a miracle, a miracle in which this sequel somehow surpassed The Grace of Kings in every possible way. The seeds of Dandelion planted in The Grace of Kings bloomed in The Wall of Storms. Also, before I begin my review, the US edition cover art done by Sam Weber suddenly has a deeper meaning to it after reading the content of this book. With the antlered creature and the berries, you will find out why this cover art is chosen after you read the book. Now, allow me to begin my wall of texts. "The dreams of the great lords of the world were built upon the blood and bones of the common people. The blossoming of the golden chrysanthemum required the fertilizer made from the ashes of the Hundred Flowers. That was an eternal truth." Do you know how sometimes an author requires 100-200 pages, sometimes even longer, before the book gets good? This is certainly not the case with The Wall of Storms. With The Grace of Kings, Ken Liu has established an iron-strong foundation for the early section of this book to instantly grab the reader's attention. In Whispering Breezes, Ken Liu also planted more seeds of chaos and excellent character groundwork we know will reward its readers in the later sections of the book. But this doesn't mean the first out of the four parts of the novel were ever boring. Just within the first 260 pages, I've highlighted more than 20 passages. This is the calm before the storm section of the novel, and it is already packed with subtle tensions and an immaculate display of literary prose. One out of many examples, we see the truth behind how the Calendrical Dozen was formed. This is told with a story within a story technique, and the revelation of how the humble Orchid joined the Calendrical Dozen was terrific. "A god of war is also the god of those who are caught in the wheel of eternal struggle, who fight on despite knowledge of certain defeat, who stand with their companions against spear and catapult and gleaming metal, armed with only their pride, who strive and assay and press and toil, all the while knowing that they cannot win. Remember the passage above, this is one of the many dominant themes in the book. The story in The Wall of Storms begins five years after the end of The Grace of Kings. The aftermath and repercussion of the Crysanthemum-Dandelion war can still be felt, and Whispering Breezes mainly deal with two key plotlines: the Palace Examination and the introduction of Zomi Kidosu and Emperor Ragin's children. Both Zomi Kidosu and Emperor Ragin's children are hugely important characters in The Dandelion Dynasty series. Their characterizations and introductions were immediately executed with finesse. Liu tackles the palace examination, Zomi Kidosu's introduction, and developing the Emperor's children by juggling between two timeframes magnificently. I personally think Zomi's flashback chapters contain one of the most endearing portrayals of mentor-apprentice I have ever read in a book. I had such a wonderful time reading the development between Zomi and her mentor, being invested in Emperor Ragin's Children (especially Princess Thera), and the Palace Examination. As I said earlier, the Palace Examination is supposed to be the calm before the storm moments of the book, but it felt intense already. It felt like Liu improved tremendously as a writer and storyteller in this sequel, and the plotting, characterizations, and literary prose he put on the pages of The Wall of Storms were (in Zomi's words) so magnidazzlelicious and beautinificent. And then, The Wall of Storms turned from great to something incredible when Whispering Breezes escalated to Gusts and Gales. "You see, you enjoyed my lectures on the Incentivists and the Patternists because I dressed them up as lessons on how to fly a balloon. A good idea is more easily absorbed if it is given the right expression, and that is why even when you have the right answers, you'll convince more people when you present them with good handwriting and proper sentence construction." For years, I have seen political content in epic fantasy sometimes criticized for being uninteresting. I disagree with this. It all depends on execution. And the political intrigues in The Wall of Storms are the most thrilling sections of political conflicts I have read since Martin's magnum opus of A Song of Ice and Fire. It was 130 pages of relentless deadly political thrillers with no shortage of pulse-pounding and heart-wrenching moments. The betrayals and the anxiety I had when I read this book were real. The reach and outcome of the manipulations and planning were unpredictable. And seeing all the dominos of discord fell one by one, I was seething with true rage and hatred over one character; I am actually angry again now. And this is good. This character is intentionally put there to be hated, at least I think so. I'm not mentioning her name to avoid spoilers, but readers who have read this book will know who I'm talking about. “The art of war requires withholding information from the enemy as long as possible, and not every victory is worth the pursuit.” She is undoubtedly a villain through and through. She may think what she was doing was selfless and justified, but it was the other way around from my perspective. She was extremely selfish because of her willingness to justify ALL her ruthlessness, provocations, and manipulations because of her outrageous paranoia. SHE, and only SHE, thought her methods were necessary. After every vile thing this character did, not just in part two of the novel but part four as well, Cersei Lannister actually looked like a saint compared to her. This level of emotional investment can be achieved when the author is masterful in writing both lovable and despicable characters. And Liu has successfully developed the myriad of characters in The Dandelion Dynasty so far, new and returning, with sharp precision. The Gusts and Gales of emotions have convinced me The Wall of Storms would earn a 5 out of 5 stars rating from me. And then, Tempest from the North arrived, and I was proven mistaken. "What courage it took for the starving and the poor to continue the mere act of existence, of survival, of endurance. Such quiet acts of heroism were not celebrated, and yet they made up the foundation of civilization, far more than all the honorable sentiments of the Ano sages and the pretty words of the nobles." I was wrong, not because this is not awesome, but because a 5-stars rating is not enough. Yes, I would give The Wall of Storms a 6 out of 5 stars rating if I could. We have seen Liu's exceptional capabilities in scheming and writing political thrillers, but how about battles and war scenes? Evidently, as much as I loved the battle and war scenes in The Grace of Kings, it turns out I saw merely glimpses of Ken Liu’s talent in writing battle scenes in The Grace of Kings. And honestly speaking, that was not enough to prepare me for the emotional onslaughts to come in Tempest from the North. Everything in this book simply exceeded my expectations. Liu has constructed some of the most heart-hammering sequences of battle scenes I have ever read in the genre. Not for one, not two, but several; the third part of the novel comprised about 300 pages of the whole book, and it was embedded with jaw-dropping scenes inflicted by the exhilarating dance of hurricanes. In order to maximize the effect of the clash of civilizations for its readers, Ken Liu made sure two crucial aspects were set in place. “It is only when one is away from home that one can see its beauty.” First, Liu showed that the invaders are not merely caricatures of evil villains. They are real people with real distinct cultures and struggles. Similar to the characters in the book, I was filled with wonder as they gazed upon the impenetrable and mythical Wall of Storms. Wall of Storms is a line of the cyclone that rose up to the sky from the sea. The thrill of discovery and the dangers of visiting a new land felt palpable, and it was fruitful to know the invaders’ perspectives and backgrounds. In a similar fashion to Dara, The Land of Ukyu and Gonde felt rich with history. In The Grace of Kings, Liu introduced us to a gigantic creature called cruben, the massive whale that ruled the sea in Dara. In The Wall of Storms, Liu introduced Garinafins with an exploding impact, and the face of the world will never be the same again with this creature that ruled the sky in existence. “I was taught that what we fill our hearts with has much more to do with our fates than our native talents or circumstances. I was named Dissolver of Sorrows, and I intend to live up to my name. If our situation seems hopeless, we can either give in to it and lament our fortune, or revise the script and chart ourselves a new course. We’re always the heroes of our own stories.” And then secondly and the most important one: the characters. I need to emphasize this point again, and I wish I could keep doing it. Liu has created and developed some of the utterly well-written characters I have ever read, especially the female characters. I am seriously astounded and impressed by Liu's depth of characterization here. I actually pity the readers who discontinued reading the series because they thought the series lacked well-written female characters just from reading The Grace of Kings. I disagree with this perspective, I knew Liu was playing the long game, and readers get to reap the reward here. Readers who gave up on the series after reading The Grace of Kings would not get to know some of the best female characters to ever be put in a novel. Whether you love or hate the characters, Liu excels in his characterizations. Simple as that. Gin Mazoti, Princess Thera, and Zomi Kidosu, among many other characters in the book, were some of the most amazing characters I have come across in fantasy. Not just because they are female, but because they were supremely well-written. This is especially true for Gin Mazoti, the legendary marshal of Dara, a character I loved dearly since her first appearance in The Grace of Kings, and now that praise has been forged with an eternal flame. “There are no born heroes, and legends are just stories. Gin, you know the truth as well as I. But the world sometimes demands a man or a woman to step forward to embody the will of the many, and thus are legends and heroes born. True courage comes not from being certain and unafraid, but from doing what must be done even while being terrified and full of doubts.” My deep connections with the characters are why the invasions of Dara felt so monstrous. The Lyucu inhabitants caused a cyclone of deaths in the Islands of Dara with their arrival. And I was left emotional, reeling, exhausted, and terrified by the savage demonstration of brutality, violence, and destruction. I was frightened by the massacre and yet enchanted by the narrative to keep turning the pages of The Wall of Storms. I was scared because I did not want to see characters I loved encounter their demise, but I could not function properly in real life without finding out the final outcome of the immense confrontations of whirlwinds. And so I continued. And, of course, the heavens shook, and the earth trembled when Liu delivered the coup de grace in A Clash of Typhoons. “Though all life is an experiment, there are moments of purity of purpose that demand no justification. Today, Dara is under threat of a dark storm that has no comparison. There is no long view that can justify enslavement and capitulation. When the only alternative is death and servitude, I believe all of us know what must be the right choice.” The last 130 pages of The Wall of Storms exhibited intricate and breathtaking climax sequences. Rekindling the fire of hope is never easy. Seeing our beloved characters struggle to ignite that tiny and necessary spark in the threat of overwhelming darkness and evil made me emotional. Liu also unleashed his creativity in devising clever and believable military tactics during the climactic Battle of Zathin Gulf. The mechanisms and biology behind the technologies and creatures used in this battle were explained thoroughly. The aerial battles in The Wall of Storms are the finest aerial battles I have ever read in an epic fantasy novel. Charged with the silkmotic force, the fiery detonations across the sky to repel the invaders seemed like they happened in front of me. It was an incredibly cinematic and unforgettable pandemonium; the war is the highest test of valor in the face of horror, malice, and despair. Heavy sacrifices (unfortunately and realistically) will have to be made. But can the House of Dandelion achieve victory? Well, I have said more than enough in this wall of text. I will leave the detailed captivating reading experience and outcome for you to find out for yourself. “Every cupa stone can be sacrificed, as long as the game is won.” I unsheathe the Doubt Ender when I articulate this, The Wall of Storms is an indisputable and marvelously crafted masterpiece. Brimming with characters that sink deep under your skin, engaging epic war scenes, meticulously expansive world-building, and lyrical prose equipped with the pearl of wisdom, The Wall of Storms is hands down one of the best fantasy books of all time. The content inside The Wall of Storms felt equivalent to reading two superlative epic fantasy novels in one package. The judgment of history will decide whether my praises for The Wall of Storms are well-deserved or not. I am not sure whether or how the second half of the series could top this book, but I am happy to be proven wrong. Based on everything I've read by Ken Liu so far, I feel inclined to state that he is a genius storyteller, and it's safe to say he has become one of my top favorite authors. On that note, time for me to end this wall of text with this parting message: I encourage you to read this series. The Dandelion Dynasty is now included as one of my top favorite series of all time, and I am hoping The Veiled Throne and Speaking Bones will make me love the series even more. Bravo, Ken Liu. I am absolutely in awe of this masterpiece. "When you've lived for as long as I have, you realize that the greatest pleasures in life are not very impressive at all. It's better to have one true friend who can understand the voice in your heart when you pluck out a hesitant tune on the zither than to have the unthinking adoration of millions." You can order this 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, Andrew W, Amanda, Annabeth, Ben, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Ellis, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Nanette, Neeraja, Nicholas, Reno, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawna, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jun 02, 2022
|
Jun 07, 2022
|
Mar 25, 2017
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
076534887X
| 9780765348876
| 076534887X
| 4.51
| 30,853
| Feb 15, 2011
| May 2012
|
it was amazing
|
Epic, masterful, and scintillating in every sense of these words; The Crippled God is an unforgettable magnum opus that concludes Steven Erikson’s gen
Epic, masterful, and scintillating in every sense of these words; The Crippled God is an unforgettable magnum opus that concludes Steven Erikson’s genre-defining series: Malazan Book of the Fallen. 11,216 pages (Bantam paperback edition) and 3.3 million words read in exactly two months and two weeks; I’m done, it’s finally over. The entire ten-volume of Malazan Book of the Fallen has been in my TBR pile for almost two years long, and now it has been read, dusted and shelved. Erikson has raised the benchmark for Epic/military fantasy ridiculously high with what he created in this series. Together with Wrath by John Gwynne and Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb, The Crippled God stands among the top of the best final book of a series I’ve ever read, and there’s a definite probability that it will always stay on that list. "I have enjoyed our long conversation. What's three and a half million words between friends?" – Steven Erikson Where do I even begin? Is it even possible for anyone to write a review that can give the series the justice it deserves? I know I can’t. Alas, a review must be written; I’ll try to keep it as short as possible. Having slept on it and waking up thinking about it, I’ve come to realize that I probably will never encounter another fantasy series as complex and massive in scope like this series. Erikson’s achievement in writing Malazan Book of the Fallen and completing the massive series in the span of twelve years deserves a standing ovation from the entire SFF community. Accompanying demonic ambition, writing speed, dedication, and hard work, Erikson has created a series brimming with stellar content that can last a lifetime; I can already envision that rereading the series will be immensely rewarding. The Crippled God is the tenth and the final book in the highly acclaimed Malazan Book of the Fallen series and if you’re reading this review, you probably already know that the finale of the series itself was divided into two books, Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God. I personally think that it was unnecessary to divide the finale into two books. Erikson put everything I disliked about the series into Dust of Dreams and everything I loved about the series into The Crippled God. The result? Dust of Dreams became my least favorite book of the series and The Crippled God became one of my absolute favorite books of the series; I loved it as much as I loved Memories of Ice and The Bonehunters. Erikson has successfully delivered an extremely rewarding experience to readers who managed to commit and complete reading the series. Excluding the close to pointless Snake plotline, I thoroughly enjoyed reading every single page of this book. The build-up, the characters’ development, the world-building, and the themes that ran throughout the entire series came to an explosive denouement. The refrains of sacrifice, an orchestra of bittersweet poignancy, impactful themes of faith, despair, redemption, regret, compassion, loyalty, honor, resilience, and friendship; all of these collaborate to give the unwitnessed heroic deeds the proper respect they rightfully deserved. “It is not enough to wish for a better world for the children. It is not enough to shield them with ease and comfort. …if we do not sacrifice our own ease, our own comfort, to make the future's world a better one, then we curse our own children. We leave them a misery they do not deserve; we leave them a host of lessons unearned.” There were a myriad thought-provoking, inspiring, and resonating philosophical discussions implemented into the story line; combined with the stunningly written act of devastations brought in this last installment, suffice to say that I was repeatedly astonished by Erikson’s tremendous capability as an author. The last two chapters (which lasted approximately 300 pages and took me four hours to read) of The Crippled God were extremely well-written, keeping me on the edge of my seat, and pretty much summed up the best kind of experience that epic fantasy has to offer. Blistering battles for dominance, swirling grief, brutal annihilation, and inescapable casualties from all factions; firestorm, thunderstorm, maelstrom, and many more large-scale action sequences create an exhilarating and emotional cinematic experience. Plus, the accumulation of the tension, build-up, and information that has been established, either explicitly or subtly, throughout the series right from the first installment culminated to bring the most groundbreaking convergence of epic proportions into the last two chapters; it was easily the best climactic sequences of the series and that’s saying a lot. To choose one or five favorite characters from the series is as difficult as being asked to choose which favorite series you’ll burn. Usually, there are less than ten memorable characters within a single trilogy. For example, if I ask who your favorite characters from Mistborn trilogy are, the answers are almost guaranteed to be Kelsier, Kelsier, Kelsier, Kelsier, Kelsier, and Vin; this won’t happen with this series. There are an incredibly high amount of memorable and pivotal characters that being asked to choose only five favorite characters will be such an unfair task. Characterizations have always been the most important aspect in every single book I read. The series has the biggest cast of characters I’ve ever read by far. I’m not joking, there were more than 300 characters throughout the series to keep track of, the dramatis personae in this final installment alone have 212 characters in it. I won’t lie, the characterizations in the second half of the series suffer a lot in my opinion. Erikson introduced new characters mercilessly and the majority of them sounded the same to me. This was especially true in Reaper’s Gale and Dust of Dreams. Fortunately, Erikson didn’t do this in The Crippled God. Only a few new characters were introduced and they were all fantastic to read. By focusing the storytelling and narrative on characters we’re familiar with, regardless of their quantity, made the characters dynamics, interactions, and dialogues an absolute delight to read. I don’t have anything left to say regarding the installment, or the series itself except that Erikson’s world-building was unparalleled. In this blazing colossal conclusion, Erikson unleashed all the races throughout the series. The humans, the gods, the ascendants, K’Chain Chemalle, Forkrul Assail, T’lan Imass, Barghast, Tiste Andii, Tiste Liosan, Tiste Edur, Eleint, practically every kind of factions converged. I have never read a series as massive as this one. Every place, buildings, weapons, characters, and locations - all have their own history. Erikson could seriously write about anything in this world and it would still work. That’s how massive and intricate this series is. Right now, the only thing that in my opinion can be compared to Erikson’s world-building skill is Sanderson’s Cosmere universe, but that’s totally different as Sanderson’s Cosmere spans across worlds and many series instead of taking place in a single world as Malazan did. My advice if you’re new to the series: patience and commitment. Look, there’s no way around it, it doesn’t matter how much you love the series, I guarantee you that these two are necessary. This is especially true in the second half of the series where the scope of the story grew more complex, massive, and difficult than the first half. From my experience, I simply can’t take a break from the series too long otherwise I risk forgetting even more details than I already did; many readers said I finished this series very quickly, I took a one week break twice and even then, I forgot some details already. It’s also impossible to gauge whether you’ll like the series or not just from the first book. My recommendation is this. Give the series a go until Memories of Ice. If upon finishing Memories of Ice you feel the series was just okay, or not suitable to your reading preference, continuing the series from there on will most likely be futile. Memories of Ice is considered by a lot of the fans to be one of the, if not the best installment of the series. However, if you find that you’re blown away already by Gardens of the Moon, you’ll probably experience an escapism fantasy unlike any other. Picture: The Complete Malazan Book of the Fallen. Cover art by Kekai Kotaki. [image] I didn’t find Malazan Book of the Fallen as flawless—to be fair, no series is ever totally perfect—as what the rabid fans claimed to be. However, despite some issues I had with it, I rank the series as a whole to be my current number one favorite series of all time together with The Faithful and the Fallen by John Gwynne and The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. Don’t make me choose which one I love more, they’re different from each other, and each of them has their own strengths. Brilliantly complex and extremely rewarding in all its might, Malazan Book of the Fallen is a transcending and triumphant genre-defining series, and if you’re an epic fantasy fans, you owe it to yourself to give the series a try. I, as a reader, am genuinely gratified to have read the everlasting adventures penned in Malazan Book of the Fallen. The series and many other incredible series have cemented the fact that epic fantasy, or just fantasy in general, will always be my favorite genre and escapism read. “And now the page before us blurs. Joining many other witnessed and unwitnessed readers, I have unchained the Book of Fallen. It’s your turn to carve the tales of the Fallen to your memory and remember them. Series review: Gardens of the Moon: 4/5 stars Deadhouse Gates: 4.5/5 stars Memories of Ice: 5/5 stars House of Chains: 3/5 stars Midnight Tides: 5/5 stars The Bonehunters: 5/5 stars Reaper’s Gale: 4/5 stars Toll the Hounds: 5/5 stars Dust of Dreams: 2/5 stars The Crippled God: 5/5 stars Malazan Book of the Fallen: 42.5/50 stars Side note: Special thanks to my friends, TS and Emma, who listened to my all my theories and ramblings (for better or worse) about the series without giving spoilers or being judgmental. Lastly, I know some of you have asked about the proposal I mentioned in my Gardens of the Moon review. The answer is yes! It won’t be soon, I still have some things to prepare but fingers crossed it will happen next year. For now, let’s just say that the stoppage light has turned green by completing this series. Wish us the best of luck! :) You can order the book HERE! You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Oct 08, 2018
|
Oct 12, 2018
|
Dec 05, 2016
|
Mass Market Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
0765348837
| 9780765348838
| 0765348837
| 4.48
| 41,291
| Jan 01, 2006
| Jul 2008
|
it was amazing
|
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo Brilliant is an understatement, The Bonehunters is a leviathan of a ma I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo Brilliant is an understatement, The Bonehunters is a leviathan of a masterpiece in convergence. With this installment, Steven Erikson has cemented himself as an irreplaceable author for the genre of epic and military fantasy. This is already the sixth book in the series and it’s simply unbelievable how he was able to keep producing such an amazing book. I thought Memories of Ice would end up being the absolute best installment of the series but as it turns out, The Bonehunters ended up being another best of the series so far; it’s truly up to the masterpiece quality of Memories of Ice and it's even superior if we're speaking of overall content. Let’s just say I’m honestly shocked by how incredible this installment was. It took six books of the series but I’m extremely confident about putting Erikson into my list of favorite authors of all time now. Picture: The Bonehunters Lettered Edition cover art by Noah Bradley [image] It’s really difficult to review this book. Not only this installment is filled with enough content to fit an entire trilogy, The Bonehunters marks the first time Erikson converged almost all the plotlines, characters, and world-building within his previous five books into one. To save future readers who read this review from spoilers, I’m going to refrain from mentioning any characters’ name from now on and just explain what I loved about the book. The story of the book started after the end of House of Chains, which is approximately seven months after the epilogue in Memories of Ice. This was a story that revolved heavily around humanity, conceit, leadership, loyalty, companionship, life and death; and of course, gods, religion, and fanaticism. “All those bickering worshippers, each one convinced their version is the right one. Imagine getting prayers from ten million believers, not one of them believing the same thing as the one kneeling beside him or her. Imagine all those Holy Books, not one of them agreeing on anything, yet all of them purporting to be the word of that one god. Imagine two armies annihilating each other, both in that god's name. Who wouldn't be driven mad by that?” One of the main reason why this book stands out from all the other book in the series so far was due to one thing: pacing. Pacing-wise, it’s even better than Memories of Ice; I enjoyed reading literally every page of this tome. The previous installments, as amazing as they were, always had one or two plot lines that bored me; the Barghast subplot in Memories of Ice or the barrage of dream sequences in Midnight Tides to name a few. But in this book? None; there’s simply no dull moment here. Excluding Erikson’s improvement in writing skill and the converging of plotlines, the extraordinarily enjoyable pacing was achieved because unlike the previous five books, Erikson only introduced relatively few new characters in an already familiar settings here; the majority of the POV characters were someone we have known and accustomed with, in places we have been, like The Seven Cities and Malaz City (Not in BotF, but in Night of Knives). The flow of the book was never hindered; the balance between actions, dialogues, and philosophies culminate to bring the compelling ability of the book to a new height for the series. I am simply in awe of the sheer characters’ development that engulfed this book. There was one character I really disliked but here I finally changed my mind. Plus, seeing all the world-building sprawled in the previous installments started to converge in one book was one heck of a rewarding experience. Erikson’s capability in constructing the scenes within each chapter while at the same time preparing the awesome setup for the next chapter was simply masterful; every page, every sentence, and every word, all of them have tremendous value in progressing the story, characters’ development, and world-building. However, the grand scope of the action sequences in this book in my opinion deserved an extra standing ovation. “Show me a god that does not demand mortal suffering. Chapter seven of this book was roughly 120 pages long, that’s a size of a novella in a single chapter; for the majority of other epic fantasy series, what happened in this chapter alone could well be the conclusion their respective trilogy or series. However, instead of just one incredible action sequences in one chapter, Erikson gave another 100 pages long action sequence in the climax sequence of the book. In this climax sequences, Erikson displayed his superb improvement in writing close quarter combat scenes. The atmosphere, the precision accuracy in prose, the depiction and description of the military tactics and assassinations that shows the battle of cunning and wills were absolutely top-notch. Erikson imbued the themes of this book into the brilliantly destructive action scenes. Once again, the power of sorcery in this series never ceases to impress me; they’re capable of shaking my heart as if there was really a trembling blast near my surroundings. Erikson painted an escapism experience of the highest level that can only be born from the imagination of the master of the genre. A cloud of darkness and death gathered; humanity must rise against god’s machinations once again. Giants, undead, and the descending gods, glory and despair battled for supremacy. With the addition of the berserkers in fanaticism and the searing firestorm that cloaked its victim in flame and boiling blood; all of these demonstrated a festival of destruction that humanity, gods, and fanaticism can bring and also at the same time, displayed a celebration of perseverance that made me shook my head in penitence and awe. Picture: One of the interior artworks in the Subterranean edition by Noah Bradley [image] Erikson’s prose provided readers with visceral and vivid imagery; portraying savagery and brutality while making sure that they evoked meaning to the scenes, not just shock value. Horizon painted with smokes, palpable emotions and atmosphere; Erikson is a genius and he was able to inflict a massive amount of impact just by putting one short closing sentence in his chapters such as: “The sun, rising to meet its own child.” I don’t know how Erikson will be able to top this book with the remaining four books of the series; this is epic fantasy at its best and shows why I absolutely love the genre. The Bonehunters without a doubt was another one of those incredibly rare 6 out of 5 stars read. Reading the sixth book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen was truly a magnificent experience and just like Memories of Ice, it’s with temerity that I claim that The Bonehunters deserves to be included into one of the top ten novels I’ve ever read. You can order the book HERE! You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Aug 28, 2018
|
Sep 02, 2018
|
Dec 05, 2016
|
Mass Market Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
0765348802
| 9780765348807
| 0765348802
| 4.46
| 60,409
| Dec 06, 2001
| Aug 01, 2006
|
it was amazing
|
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo A peerless and jaw-dropping epic installment; I consider myself damn l I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo A peerless and jaw-dropping epic installment; I consider myself damn lucky to have witnessed this powerfully evocative tale. I’ve stated that it’s mandatory to read at least two books of the series in order to truly find out whether you’ll love this series or not. I retract that statement now and change it to three books instead. Trust me, if you don’t love Memories of Ice, you might as well drop the series now. And that’s okay because no series can work for everyone. Honestly speaking, I had a bit of doubt about the series, but this incredibly mesmerizing installment has convinced me to finally become a fan of the series. Picture: Memories of Ice by Marc Simonetti [image] Unlike Deadhouse Gates where the story featured almost completely new characters in a new setting, Memories of Ice is more of a direct sequel to the first book: Gardens of the Moon. The events in this book take place around the same time with Deadhouse Gates, and this time, it continues from where Gardens of the Moon left off. Focusing on the Pannion War, the majority of the characters from the first book once again returned as the main characters here, and the setting returns to Genabackis. When it comes to the plot structure, Memories of Ice can be considered relatively simple. The plot structure utilized building-up to the big battle at the halfway point of the book, then the pace slows down and Erikson repeats the structure by building up the story once again to reach the monumental climax sequences. Memories of Ice, for whatever reason, felt easier to digest than Deadhouse Gates. This doesn’t mean that the world-building, lore, and history were any less complex or detailed; this is Malazan Book of the Fallen, and complexity is its charm. However, all the revelations and information in this book just seeped into my brain easier. Maybe Erikson’s prose here has improved, or maybe I’m just more used to the series by now; all I know is that it worked wonderfully. “And perhaps that is the final, most devastating truth. The gods care nothing for ascetic impositions on mortal behaviour. Care nothing for rules of conduct, for the twisted morals of temple priests and monks. Perhaps indeed they laugh at the chains we wrap around ourselves – our endless, insatiable need to find flaws within the demands of life. Or perhaps they do not laugh, but rage at us. Perhaps our denial of life’s celebration is our greatest insult to those whom we worship and serve.” It’s both amazing and shocking that despite everything that has transpired in Memories of Ice, there are still seven books left in the series to read. Memories of Ice shows just how destructive humanity can be through the devastation wrought by their actions. Echoes of deaths trail the paths of mankind; their power may be severely lacking compared to the Ascendants and other creatures, but their thirst for greed, hatred, and tyranny excel above everything. This of course doesn’t mean Memories of Ice is a completely dark book; I found Deadhouse Gates to be much bleaker in tone. In this installment, Erikson made sure to display that beneath humanity’s capability for violence, they also have compassion, love, and friendship that goes a long way toward balancing things out, and that’s something I truly appreciate. “We humans do not understand compassion. In each moment of our lives, we betray it. Aye, we know of its worth, yet in knowing we then attach to it a value, we guard the giving of it, believing it must be earned, T’lan Imass. Compassion is priceless in the truest sense of the world. It must be given freely. In abundance.” The world-building was once again stupendous. Things foreshadowed in the previous two books are unraveled gradually with mind-blowing revelations and implications. The importance of the Deck of Dragons continues to delightfully surprise me. Erikson’s background as an archeologist and anthropologist bleeds into the world-building and characterizations here. Right from the insanely epic prologue, Memories of Ice exhibited how events from hundreds of thousands of years have the power to greatly affect the present timeline. ”The heart of wisdom is tolerance.” Erikson never stops introducing a lot of new characters within each book; you have to understand that developing patience with the character’s development is a practically crucial requirement to enjoy the series. Here’s the thing, Erikson doesn’t waste characters; all of the characters he added into the series so far are integral to the series. There were a lot of amazing scenes and characters in Memories of Ice, and it is honestly insane that Erikson was able to give every one of them a distinct voice and personality. Most importantly, each character’s POV was super engaging and compelling to read. For example, two of the many new characters introduced in this book—Gruntle and Itkovian—started out as okay characters here. By the end of this book, the two of them stand tall in the list of my favorite fantasy characters. Their development was stunning, and the actions they did were inspiring. Erikson has truly improved in his characterizations, and the development that all the characters went through in this installment alone deserves sublime recognition. The multitude of characters and their emotionally-packed interactions with each other have the power to make you invested in their fates. Picture: K'Chain Che'Malle by J.K. Drummond [image] I’ve read only his first three books, but I must say that this is Erikson’s prose at its best so far. The prologue itself will immediately show you a glimpse of how well-written this book is. Every sentence has tremendous weight; the prose demanded my absolute attention, and I was very pleased to give in to that demand. The prose was poetic, elegant, engaging, and memorable; I found the images conjured by Erikson’s prose to be so vivid, and I’m sure this story will stick with me for a long time. Admittedly, I struggled with the Barghast storyline in Part II of the novel during my first read; during this point, I was genuinely having doubts on whether this series would be for me or not. Fortunately, I was proven completely wrong by the incredibly well-paced second half of the novel. And I should note that during my reread, thie Barghast sections were much more intriguing. Usually, when I have issues with the book I’m reading, I tend to refrain from giving it a full 5 stars rating. However, not only am I giving this book a full 5 stars rating, I would actually give Memories of Ice a 6 out of 5 stars rating if I could. If I’m not mistaken, there has only been one other exception before this book where I gave this kind of praise despite the issues I had with the book, and it was for Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. It all comes down to the last 20% of the book; this is where Erikson unleashed his skill as a storyteller to carve a bloody path to your heart with his superb characterizations, palpable tension-building, and exhilaratingly epic action sequences. Picture: Memories of Ice by J. K. Drummond [image] I’m talking about cinematic set pieces of immensely epic proportions with catastrophic results; every character out of every race played essential parts during the climax sequences. I was transfixed by the gathering of massive armies of vast power, and the limitless convergence was undoubtedly fantastic. I mean it, this is truly epic in both scope and execution. Once I’ve finished reading the book, the mini-epilogue then proceed to seal the deal that I’ve just read one of the most epic and finest epic fantasy books of all time. “The harder the world, the fiercer the honor.” I’m going to bask in my memories of this book for possibly the rest of my life. Not only this is the best book in the series so far, this has also become one of my favorite books of all time. Memories of Ice is deeply impactful and irreplaceable in content. It’s an epic tale of enormous proportion that could only be delivered by a masterclass fantasy author; Steven Erikson is definitely one such writer. Out of every book I’ve read, there are currently less than ten books on my “Masterpieces” shelf, and Memories of Ice is a welcome addition to that list. I’m completely floored and astounded by the greatness that Erikson has created with this installment. The experience of reading Memories of Ice has been frozen inside my brain, and not even Elsa has the power to let it go. 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, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Mar 16, 2021
Aug 07, 2018
|
Mar 25, 2021
Aug 11, 2018
|
Dec 05, 2016
|
Mass Market Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
0007444281
| 9780007444281
| 0007444281
| 4.65
| 41,730
| May 04, 2017
| Mar 22, 2018
|
it was amazing
|
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo Here lies the end of my journey in The Realm of the Elderlings. Robin I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo Here lies the end of my journey in The Realm of the Elderlings. Robin Hobb, if you’re reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing this series and for saving your best work for the finale. Assassin’s Fate marks the conclusion of the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, and it’s also the final installment within Robin Hobb’s overarching The Realm of the Elderlings series that’s comprised of sixteen books in total. I started my journey into this series on January 15th, and coincidentally it all ends on April 15th. It took me exactly three months to read all sixteen full-length novels plus one novella and one anthology (4.1 million words within 11473 pages of the UK paperback edition), and by the gods, what an unforgettable journey this has been. It gladdens me to say that Assassin’s Fate ended up becoming my number one favorite Robin Hobb’s work; it was a heartfelt, bittersweet, and satisfying conclusion to a series that has left me in awe of Hobb’s capability as a writer. Now that I’ve finished this book, I can fully understand why people raved about Robin Hobb being the reigning queen of high fantasy. As it turns out, she has become the queen of the fantasy genre for me, and she also has become the first female author to be included on my favorite authors of all-time lists. “To Fitz and the Fool. Following the nature of Hobb’s books, despite continuing immediately after the cliffhanger in Fool’s Quest, Assassin’s Fate starts off slowly—this isn’t a negative thing for me—during the first half of the novel. However, please don’t let the slow start fool you into thinking that this would be a boring book; far from it, it’s one of the most engaging stories I’ve ever read. There were so many important scenes happening, and I do believe that you can only fully appreciate every page of this tome if you’ve read all of Hobb’s books—not just the one that features Fitz as the main character. One of the factors that made Assassin’s Fate super amazing was the convergence of all the previous plot-lines and key characters from all of Hobb’s series in this world—The Liveship Traders, in particular, is a definite must-read—into this book. The first 50% of this book was indeed dominated by Fitz’s travel to Clerres, and this is in a way almost similar to the plot structure in Assassin’s Quest travel sections, but one crucial thing separate this from that: the characters from The Liveship Traders. The convergence of Fitz’s story and The Liveship Traders characters were spectacularly good; these are some of the most well-written characters in the genre, and even seeing the characters just conversing with each other brought me happiness. To be able to finally see Fitz interact with the characters from The Liveship Traders made the first half of the novel immensely enjoyable to read. “Never do what you can’t undo until you’ve considered well what you can’t do once you’ve done it.” I can’t emphasize highly enough how magnificent this last installment is. This book is a true culmination of twenty-two years of Hobb’s works, and it successfully exceeded all my expectations. I won’t lie, the entire sixteen books series hasn’t been a thoroughly smooth sailing experience, but the most important thing is that the entirety of this series is truly worth the journey and commitment. What exactly makes Hobb’s books so unforgettable? Well, there’s plenty of reasons, and I’ve talked about them like a broken record already, but let me repeat the most important one of them all one last time: the excellent characterizations. Almost ALL of Hobb’s characters were extremely well-written, and believe me, these characters will be transformed into real individuals in your head and heart. The genuine relationships—good and bad—formed, and how the passage of time affects us all remained as one of my favorites themes of the series. Fitz’s narrative about his coming of age, friendships, and family was incredibly compelling and evocative due to Hobb’s exceptional prose. Plus, Fitz’s relationships with Nighteyes, The Fool, and Bee are now unquestionably engraved as some of the best experiences I’ve ever had in reading. Contrary to my belief that Hobb couldn’t write great action scenes, I was proven utterly wrong here. The last half of this book was an emotional rollercoaster brimming with tension-packed actions. I honestly didn’t expect this spectacular quality of actions from Robin Hobb; the final action sequences in this book almost felt like the terrific climax sequences contained in Sanderson’s or Abercrombie’s epic fantasy books. It was intense, full of twists and turn, and somehow also wholesome and beautiful. Hobb meticulously built from the groundwork established in Fool’s Assassin and led the narrative towards this final battle superbly. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger, and I’m brimming with assurance to vouch that the last half was an unstoppable page-turner that will relentlessly tug on your emotions. “Vengeance took no account of innocence or right. It was the chain that bound horrific events together, that decreed that one awful act must beget another worse one that would lead to yet a third. It came to me, slowly, that this chain would never end.” I’ve pondered about how to write this review for days, and this is pretty much all I can say about the book without diving into spoiler territory. As for the series itself, let me first say that Robin Hobb is an evidently fantastic storyteller. Some of her books, in my opinion, did have pacing issues; this was especially true in Assassin’s Quest. I also think that The Rain Wild Chronicles were overall unnecessary to read. Sure, you’ll miss some nuance about Silvers, Dragon Blood, and Kelsingra on this trilogy, but for me, I didn’t find it worthwhile to go through all the pain and frustration I had with reading The Rain Wild Chronicles just to get to this final trilogy. However, these were the very few unsatisfactory books in the saga, and it has been noted by many fans of the series who have the same opinion as I did that the quality of both Assassin’s Quest and The Rain Wild Chronicles improved significantly on rereads. I’m definitely rereading The Realm of the Elderlings in the future; Hobb has delivered me two of the greatest series I’ve ever read—The Liveship Traders and the Fitz and the Fool trilogy—within this saga. Considering that my first read through the entire series, with a few exceptions aside, has allowed me to rate all of Hobb’s books within The Realm of the Elderlings with a 4, 4.5, or 5 stars rating, I’m confident future reread will bestow an even higher rating. I seriously believe Assassin’s Fate deserves a 6/5 stars rating. I know a lot of people want Hobb to write more books in this world, and I think I wouldn’t mind a standalone story or two, but personally speaking, I’m satisfied with the four million words I’ve read here. The series is massive enough already, and prolonging a satisfyingly finished series comes with a lot of risks. Most of all, though, it’s because Assassin’s Fate is a masterful culmination to The Realm of the Elderlings, Hobb has poured everything from her career into this book, and it would be close to impossible to read a better concluding volume to the series than this. “This is our last hunt, old wolf. And as we have always done, we go to it together.” I have loved, I have laughed, I have felt joy, sorrow, fury, despair, gratification, and all kind of emotions; these emotional impacts I attained from reading this series are something that will stay with me until the end of my days. In its entirety, The Realm of the Elderlings is utterly stupendous; Robin Hobb’s achievement for the completion of writing this series is nothing short of outstanding. Readers of this series—past, present, and future—will continue to treasure this sixteen books masterpiece. These characters have been with me for a full scope of three months, and they’ve become real to me now, but the bittersweet time of parting has arrived. It’s time for me to say goodbye and move on to other worlds. Rest assured, though, that this is not the final farewell. One day when I miss the characters dearly, I know I’ll visit the words written on the pages of these books again, and again, and again, and again. The Realm of the Elderlings has become a part of my soul, and there are only three words left that I need to say to describe my feelings for reaching the end of the journeys: I am content. The Realm of the Elderlings overall review: Assassin's Apprentice: 4/5 stars Royal Assassin: 4/5 stars Assassin's Quest: 2/5 stars The Farseer Trilogy: 10/15 stars Ship of Magic: 4.5/5 stars The Mad Ship: 4/5 stars Ship of Destiny: 4.5/5 stars The Liveship Traders: 13/15 stars Fool's Errand: 5/5 stars The Golden Fool: 4/5 stars Fool's Fate: 4/5 stars The Tawny Man Trilogy: 13/15 stars Dragon Keeper: 3.5/5 stars Dragon Haven: 1/5 stars City of Dragons: 3/5 stars Blood of Dragons: 2/5 stars The Rain Wild Chronicles: 9.5/20 stars Fool's Assassin: 5/5 stars Fool's Quest: 4.5/5 stars Assassin's Fate: 5/5 stars Fitz and the Fool: 14.5/15 stars The Realm of the Elderlings: 60/80 stars Picture: My full collection of The Realm of the Elderlings [image] You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) You can find 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!
|
1
|
Apr 12, 2018
|
Apr 15, 2018
|
Dec 05, 2016
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
1473646804
| 9781473646803
| 1473646804
| 4.75
| 47,528
| Jul 25, 2023
| Jul 25, 2023
|
it was amazing
|
This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Light Bringer Light Bringer is a bloodydamn near perfect space-opera masterpiece. “ForThis review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Light Bringer Light Bringer is a bloodydamn near perfect space-opera masterpiece. “For a friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother. —Homer” *Clang Clang Clang* Can you hear that? That’s the sound of blades clashing announcing the arrival of Light Bringer as the biggest contender for the best book of 2023. Pierce Brown has done it. I have been a diehard fan of Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga for almost seven years. My admiration and passion for this series has pushed me to willingly read the series from the beginning again—despite how busy I am—in preparation for the arrival of Light Bringer, the sixth and penultimate volume in the series. Although I have unbridled fondness for the series, I am not afraid to admit my favorite book in the entire series prior to the existence of Light Bringer has always been one of the books in the first Red Rising trilogy. On my first read-through up to Dark Age, Golden Son was my favorite installment. On my second read, Morning Star received an escalation to my favorite instead. And I did have a blast in my second read of Iron Gold and Dark Age as well. Dark Age, in particular, received a significant reading experience upgrade for me. But now that I've read my most anticipated release of the year, Light Bringer, I can say with a shattered and mended heart that is filled with contentment and satisfaction, Light Bringer is my favorite book in the entire series so far. I have no idea how Pierce Brown can top this book in Red God. Light Bringer was just that sublime. “The path is made of many stones that look all the same. When you trod upon evil, do not rest or look down because goodness is only a step away. The next may bring ruin, the next joy, but these stones are not your destination, they are but your journey to the path’s end.” Light Bringer begins 8 months after the end of Dark Age, and I strongly believe this is a return to the best of the first Red Rising trilogy while employing the expansive military space opera aspects of Iron Gold and Dark Age. And more. I have mentioned this in my review of Dark Age. For context, Dark Age is one of the darkest books I’ve ever read. Brown went all out on the gore, darkness, violence, and bleakness of the circumstances and threats Darrow and his friends faced to mercilessly showcase the darkness and cruelty of war and violence. And Brown succeeded at this. There is nothing wrong with this direction. On my second read, I acknowledge this is a necessary and firm foothold needed to be established for Brown to bring the massive emotional reckonings and self-discovery in Light Bringer. But on that review of Dark Age, especially on my first read without a sign of Light Bringer in sight back then, I felt Brown did not implement his most outstanding gift as a storyteller. That is to mix the themes of hope, friendship, love, and light into the chaos of destruction the characters encounter. This blend of chemistry made the first trilogy shine so brightly in many reader’s hearts. Fortunately, as I said earlier, Brown brought that back in Light Bringer multiply without losing the epic scope he meticulously prepared in Iron Gold and Dark Age. As Brown himself said. Light Bringer is a book about journeying through darkness toward light, toward home. It is a book about war, loss, and hope, but most of all, it is a book about friendship and how the bonds we make with those we love are stronger than duty, blood, or chains. And Brown is firing on all cylinders here. Lux ex Tenebris. Light comes after darkness. “I think of the eighth understanding. We achieve perfection first by acknowledging our failures. We increase understanding first by recognizing our ignorance.” Does it mean Light Bringer is less dark or intense compared to Dark Age? No. I will argue the intensity has been heightened even further. There were many moments in the book where I felt like my heart was leaping out of my throat. Part 1 out of 4 of the novel is relatively safe in tension and heartbreak. But remember, we are in the sixth book of seven in Red Rising Saga. My emotional investment (and I think the same notion is felt by other Howlers) toward the characters is real. Darrow and the surviving characters from the first trilogy are not simply fictional characters. Our affection and worries for them are genuine. A slight damage to them could mean a critical emotional hit for us readers. As we learn from the previous books in Red Rising Saga and many other science fiction and fantasy series, being a paragon of honor and virtue doesn’t immortalize or guarantee peace. War portends death, hatred, and vengeance. To form a unity with an armor of love or to be indivisible and invincible could be tougher than waging vengeance. Especially when Darrow and the characters live in a dehumanized world ruled by a ruthless hierarchy where the rule of might make right is absolute. This is, among many other reasons, why Light Bringer is so bloodydamn brilliant. The character’s work, characterizations, and development were masterfully written. My mind and heart swirled with fear, anxiety, love, happiness, and sorrow throughout every page. The sense of care I have for the main characters felt too much, and as I saw them constantly endure heavy adversities, it felt like I spiritually persisted with them, too. “If we demand restitution for all the evils that have been done to us, there will be no end to this war. It will consume us and the people we claim to lead. The future is more important than our wounds… The purpose of war must not be vengeance. It cannot be to kill your enemies until none are left. That is barbarism. That’s how Earth and its multitude of nations strangled itself… The purpose of war must be to find the road back to peace.” I’ve read more than 600 novels since I read the first Red Rising trilogy for the first time. And the fact that I still regard the brotherhood in Red Rising Saga to be one of—if not—the best portrayal of brotherhood in fiction I’ve ever read is a testament to Brown’s complex, mature, and layered plotting and character motivations. I did mention this at the beginning of this review. Light Bringer brings the series back to its core. In Iron Gold and Dark Age, Darrow is mostly separated from the main characters from the first trilogy. It is why I think there is a bit of a more mixed reception toward both Iron Gold and Dark Age. Even if overall, they were still super positive. But this separation does bring worthy and rewarding payoffs in Light Bringer. I’m trying to not mention the character’s name here to make this review as spoiler-free as possible, but the theme of brotherhood exhibited in Light Bringer was so bloodydamn good. I would consider myself blessed to be able to read more books with this level of believable friendship and brotherhood. With more responsibilities and the march of time, their friendships aren’t as relatively simple as they were before in the first trilogy when they had fewer designated main missions and priorities. The brotherhood between Darrow and his brothers has obstructions, and they are bravely fought for, understood, and nurtured. “So what you’re saying is, without your friends , you’d be slagged and the Rising would be ashes?... Welcome to the club, asshole. Where do you think I’d be without you? Without our friends? Dead in a ravine, that’s where. We hold each other up. We always have. That’s not weakness. That’s the only strength we’ve got. More than anyone, you’ve been there for me. You’ve been my engine for half a life. My turn.” Red Rising Saga is still my number 1 favorite sci-fi series. It never feels like work to do a second read of the series from the beginning, and honestly speaking, I am glad I did that before reading Light Bringer. One of my favorite things about Light Bringer is how Pierce Brown totally made sure that crucial and pivotal events from each previous book in the series do matter. A lot. They were established and reflected, and they exponentially enhanced the emotional value I have with the series. When you analyze the storyline and conflicts in Iron Gold up to Light Bringer, especially Light Bringer, you will see many of them are the downfall and results of Darrow’s actions in the first trilogy. And I am not only talking about the endgame in Morning Star, but to mention one, what Darrow decided to do in the Battle of Ilium in Morning Star has a lot of devastating repercussions that can still be felt in Light Bringer. I am so pleased with this storytelling decision. I also think more authors and storytellers should include snippets of recollections or flashbacks like Brown did here. We, readers, have gone through the series from the beginning. In sequels or long series, characters' momentary recollections of the past and their journey can magnificently increase my emotional attachment to the characters and their struggle. “In the cold prison of our minds, we are alone with our self-hatred, our doubts, and guilt… A friend may reach through the bars and hold our hand, but they cannot open the door for us. Only the prisoner has the key. All I can do is remind him we’re waiting for him when he gets out.” As a result, for the first time in the series, after all the development, I can now say Darrow has become one of my top favorite main characters. This is new to me. Sevro has always been my favorite character in Red Rising Saga. But Darrow is flawed, and his character's arc and development throughout the series are phenomenal. In Light Bringer, I love reading how Darrow took a step back to observe the unforgettable sins of his past. The weight of his guilt was never neglected, and he took action upon them. It is all so incredible. Brown's multiple first-person narration was compelling and engaging, as always. There were many passages I highlighted because they resonated a lot with me. Although Darrow and Lysander's POV chapters have the most spotlights in Light Bringer, the book or series never felt it was exclusively about them. It is about them, their loved ones, their beliefs, and the ruthless hierarchy of their world. And speaking of Lysander, let me say this... He is one of the most despicable and self-righteous characters I've read in speculative fiction. It takes something special to make me want to put my hand inside the pages of a book to strangle a character, and Lysander has achieved this in Light Bringer. Multiple times. “Did Silenius and Akari love war? Did they use war to line their own purses, to vent their rage against the ungrateful masses? Or did they wage war to sculpt the chaos natural in humanity into a future of order and prosperity? Our sacred ancestors knew what we have forgotten: that peace, not war, is our sacred calling. That we were to lead by our example, not to be led by our greed, our hunger for power. I look around, and I am humbled by your acts of valor and sacrifice, but we are no longer a people united by our sacrifice or by our convictions. We are united only in our propensity for self-interest, infighting, and greed. Finally, let’s talk about action scenes. I consider The Battle of Ilium in Morning Star one of the greatest space-opera warfare sequences I’ve ever read. And, of course, Light Bringer won’t reach the critical acclaim it has without the prominent clash of conflicts evident throughout the series. Pierce Brown brought that back again. He features not only one but TWO big battle sequences. And they were absolutely breathtaking. The brutality in The Battle of Phobos was rampant and terrifying. The tone was filled with grim menace, dread, and disorder. And then there’s more… *Clang Clang Clang*. You might have seen those who read Light Bringers mention: “Clang. Clang. Clang.” This is the sound of flashing blades producing a superbly thrilling iconic duel that will be discussed by the Howlers for many years to come. Ashvar is hands down the finest duel scene in the entire series. It was pure energy crystallized by Brown’s narrative. I am in awe. I don’t know how Brown did it. The frantic bedlam and bloodshed he conjures never fails to transport me into his books easily. The free movement in the battle-flow of the breath of stone was incredibly mesmerizing to me. My pulse pounded. I forgot I was reading a book. It was like a vortex of vivid wind had opened its invitation for readers to fly together with the howling lunatics following godkillers in a hunt. I can’t say more than this. If you haven’t read Light Bringer, you will know when you get there. The entire sequence was extremely well-written; I swear any author would be gratified to pen a sequence of chapters reaching that superlative quality. Light Bringer is epic. Also, the three gorgeous maps on the front pages of Light Bringer, illustrated by Joel Daniel Phillips, helped realize the ambitious scope of Brown’s vision in Red Rising Saga. Picture: The Moon Io & The Moon Europa by Jose Daniel Phillips [image] “So why are we fading? Because we don’t wanna be here. We wanna be on the other side of this shit. We’re waiting to live. But this is it. This is our life until we change it. That’s all right. Like Darrow said, it’s a blessing. It is our privilege to fight. So let’s stop eating ourselves, chewing on each other’s legs. It’s stupid. It’s endless. We got more to do.” Whether it's the cover art or the content, Light Bringer is the crowning glory of Red Rising Saga. This is an example of a marvelous book that reminds me why I love reading. The resonating themes of camaraderie, family, brotherhood, and hope were precisely combined with the grimness of the fine-tuned actions, sacrifice, and darkness. Light Bringer contains some of the most emotional scenes in the series so far, and believe me, it means a great deal. Especially when you put how many hearts have been broken and repaired by the events in the series into the equation. Light Bringer is the best penultimate book I've ever read out of any series. By bringing Light Bringer into existence, Brown has everlastingly carved his name into the archives of science fiction history as one of the greatest sci-fi authors of all time. Only one book remains. It will be bittersweet to read the series to its completion. And I am not sure how Brown can exceed Light Bringer in Red God. But if anyone can, it would be Howler One. Per Aspera ad Astra. “I’m not really blessed at keeping friends. But you are. I truly respect that. I know how special your friends are to you, how protective you are of them. And it means…quite a bit to me that you’ve invited me into your pack and made me feel welcome. No…it means everything, really. Without this, without your friends, I’m very much alone. You’ve put a lot of faith in me. Faith that I don’t think I’ve always deserved. I just want to say…thank you, Darrow.” You can order this 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, Aliysa, Anastasia, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Casey, Chris, Cullen, David, Dernerror, Diana, Donna, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Justin, Kristina, Lara, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Tori, Tracy, TS, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zoe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Aug 24, 2023
|
Aug 29, 2023
|
Nov 02, 2016
|
Hardcover
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
![]() |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.61
|
it was amazing
|
Apr 16, 2024
|
Jul 09, 2023
|
||||||
4.46
|
it was amazing
|
Jan 12, 2024
|
Oct 10, 2021
|
||||||
4.63
|
it was amazing
|
Dec 2023
|
Oct 10, 2021
|
||||||
4.62
|
it was amazing
|
Mar 22, 2023
|
Sep 22, 2021
|
||||||
Liu, Ken
*
| 4.56
|
it was amazing
|
Aug 26, 2022
|
Oct 08, 2020
|
|||||
4.53
|
it was amazing
|
Jun 05, 2020
|
Mar 05, 2020
|
||||||
4.45
|
it was amazing
|
Jan 18, 2020
|
Sep 26, 2019
|
||||||
4.64
|
it was amazing
|
Oct 14, 2021
|
Aug 19, 2019
|
||||||
4.47
|
it was amazing
|
Jan 19, 2024
Jan 04, 2019
|
Dec 30, 2018
|
||||||
4.44
|
it was amazing
|
Apr 11, 2021
|
Oct 22, 2018
|
||||||
4.40
|
it was amazing
|
Feb 20, 2020
|
Sep 14, 2018
|
||||||
4.60
|
it was amazing
|
Sep 16, 2021
|
Aug 25, 2018
|
||||||
4.54
|
it was amazing
|
Jan 29, 2019
|
Aug 13, 2018
|
||||||
4.41
|
it was amazing
|
Oct 06, 2021
Jul 13, 2019
|
May 27, 2018
|
||||||
Liu, Ken
*
| 4.35
|
it was amazing
|
Jun 07, 2022
|
Mar 25, 2017
|
|||||
4.51
|
it was amazing
|
Oct 12, 2018
|
Dec 05, 2016
|
||||||
4.48
|
it was amazing
|
Sep 02, 2018
|
Dec 05, 2016
|
||||||
4.46
|
it was amazing
|
Mar 25, 2021
Aug 11, 2018
|
Dec 05, 2016
|
||||||
4.65
|
it was amazing
|
Apr 15, 2018
|
Dec 05, 2016
|
||||||
4.75
|
it was amazing
|
Aug 29, 2023
|
Nov 02, 2016
|