Malazan has spoiled fantasy books for me and I can’t even be mad about it
It’s funny that, even if Gardens of the Moon wasn’t among my most enjoyable rMalazan has spoiled fantasy books for me and I can’t even be mad about it
It’s funny that, even if Gardens of the Moon wasn’t among my most enjoyable reads, I saw myself comparing every single fantasy book I was trying with it. Books like Shadows of the Gods were so much faster to read but they left me with the bitter taste of having read something too simple in comparison. I knew I had to go back to Deadhouse Gates, but I was very afraid I would have to struggle again.
I don’t know if it was because the writing was better, I got used to it during GotM or I was in the perfect mood this time but I only needed a chapter to fall in love with it. While Gardens of the Moon left me constantly confused, having to go back and forth because I wasn’t understanding what was happening and my brain didn’t want to cooperate, Deadhouse Gates was a complete new experience. I would be lying if I said I read this in a couple of days-try a month-, but I barely felt lost and I never felt stupid when I didn’t understand something because it would eventually make sense.
‘Can there be magic in mere words?’ ‘Magic powerful enough to drive gods to their knees, soldier.’
Reading Deadhouse Gates felt like immersing in a whole new adventure told with the same instruments as GotM but playing a different melody. I understand why some people said this would be more confusing, but I’m really glad it wasn’t the case for me. While if you look at the story itself it’s way more complex-and two hundred pages longer-, the truth is that you already have an idea of how the magic, worldbuilding and writing style work, so that lets you focus on things like following several POVs in constant movement. You even know a bunch of the characters-don’t worry, you’ll still have loads of new ones to memorize!
Again, I don’t know if I missed the commentary in Gardens of the Moon, but I loved Erickson’s voice here. I highlighted Duiker’s thoughts dozens of times, I even got my eyes foggy at this one, when the two armies are about to fight:
And it is in these moments, before the blades are unsheated, before blood wets the ground and screams fill the air, that the futility descends upon us all. Without our armour, we would all weep, I think. How else to answer the impending promise of incalculable loss?
I couldn’t help but imagine, in the last thousands of years, all the times people had to go into a fight against other people. Maybe at the beginning it was about surviving but that reason has stopped being the goal long ago-at least for one of the parties. It blows my mind that this is still happening nowadays, that it’s happening now. That most people don’t want to kill other people, they only want to go back safely to their families, yet they are driven by the interest of a smaller group of people who are greedy for power, terrain or resources. And it makes me wonder why we are reading about something as horrible as war.
The lesson of history is that no-one learns.
But don’t get the wrong idea, philosophy is just a small part of all the ingredients Erickson added to this masterpiece. Sometimes I feel a bit frustrated about how long it took me to read this book-there are so many I want to read and so little time!!-, but then I think about everything that happened and I felt like I’ve read an entire series and not just the second volume of a ten-book series. The scope it’s so big it makes me shaky thinking about it.
While I could tell you a lot about the characters, I’ve decided I want you to experience them on your own. I’ll just say I enjoyed even that annoying girl, because it made sense to me how the trauma she suffered made her that way-and she was fifteen, I can’t even blame her for being stupid, although she was really lucky to have two responsible people around her. My only small critique is that I saw how we said goodbye to several of them, which means new characters in book three. This is a personal preference: I really love meeting new characters and appreciate authors able to kill their darlings-it makes everything more exciting-, but the only thing I’m nervous about it’s that it seems Erickson will continue to add a whole new cast of characters in every single book and I really enjoy following the survivors among my favorites. I’m going to cross my fingers about a certain favorite finally appearing in book three.
Overall, Deadhouse Gates has probably spoiled most fantasy series for me-I still have a bit of hope, if only because Sanderson is there. Although I’m not the kind of reader able to read hundreds of pages without needing to take a break for the day, Deadhouse Gates is the kind of book you keep thinking about when you are not reading. Or when you try-and fall-, to try other books by the genre. I would highly recommend trying this series if you love high fantasy and are craving something complex. I can’t promise it would be for you but, if it works, it would be worth it :)
‘Children are dying’ ‘()Who needs tomes and volumes of history? Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words. Quote me, Duiker, and your work’s done.’
If you want to betray the most powerful mercenary in the army, be sure to do it right.
They call her a lot of names, but the Snake of Talins only careIf you want to betray the most powerful mercenary in the army, be sure to do it right.
They call her a lot of names, but the Snake of Talins only cares about serving Duke Orso and taking care of her brother. When her allies decide they can’t afford to gamble with her rising popularity, seven people try to kill her. They left her for dead, but she won’t die until she gets her revenge.
With the goal of killing the seven most influential people of the country, Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, puts together a band of experienced murderers: a serial killer, a Northman, a poisoner and his apprentice. Together, they must destroy the same people she used to fight for.
Best Served Cold works as a standalone, but you are going to get spoiled for the original trilogy, so I’d recommend going in order and start with First Law #1: The Blade Itself. If you have read the original trilogy, while this is not really the continuation of the story, you may not want to miss the opportunity to say hi to a few old faces.
Even though I had fun during a lot of scenes-I love Joe Abercrombie’s humor-, I wasn’t very interested in the main plot of the book. While I enjoy following women who are really good at fighting and I don’t mind gray characters-Logen was my favorite character last year-, I didn’t really care for Monza’s revenge. She had killed hundreds of innocent people and kept killing innocent people on her way of getting revenge for only one person, so at times I couldn’t see the difference between her and Duke Orso-other than her being a bit more loyal.
To be honest, I wasn’t passionate about any of the characters we were following. Sometimes I struggle with gray characters because, as much as they have the potential to be a lot more interesting than your typical good hero, if I don’t find them cool enough I don’t care about them. That’s what happened here: they failed in convincing me what they were doing was interesting despite them being bad people.
While this review seems like I hated everything, the truth is that I read Best Served Cold in two days. Characters are important for me, but I love how Abercrombie writes, he always manages to make me laugh out loud in public spaces and surprise me with his little plot twists. Overall, Best Served Cold made me want to keep reading this series because, even if this time the characters didn’t stick, I can’t wait to find out others that will.
When I finished Malice, I decided I needed to read everything John Gwynne had ever written. But there was one book that I was looking forward to the mWhen I finished Malice, I decided I needed to read everything John Gwynne had ever written. But there was one book that I was looking forward to the most and that was the ‘peak’ on his career, the beloved Shadow of the Gods. I never expected to feel as conflicted as I feel now.
I wouldn’t say The Shadow of the Gods was a bad book but I finished it feeling underwhelmed instead of excited to continue the series. I don’t know how much is due to the book and how much is on me for choosing the wrong time-reading Malazan is making all the fantasy books I’ve been trying feel flat, unoriginal and too simple in comparison.
Inspired by Norse mythology and Vikings, The Shadow of the Gods sends us to a brutal world where conflicts are solved with blood and pain. Descendents of the dead Gods are now slaved, rulers are constantly challenged and warriors die every day in constant fights of power. It’s not enough: someone is kidnapping children, someone powerful enough to kill everyone who dares to stand in their way. A new era of madness might be coming.
“To be young and naive () Blood is always the answer.
The story started on a high note, with the perfect amount of action and characters that makes you want to say goodbye to sleep. I adore John Gwynne’s prose, I love how short his chapters are and the continuous change of POVs, even if I wished we had more here. This is a personal preference because I know some people were confused with the over six POVs in The Faithful and the Fallen, but I mourned when he shortened them to four in Of Blood and Bone and now we are left with only three.
Maybe I’ve read too many of John Gwynne’s books in too little time-eight books in one year and a half-, because I predicted most of the ‘plot twists’. Even some of the characters reminded me of characters I’ve read before: we have the good-hearted hero CorbanDrem Varg who only wants to revenge his sister, the badass warrior with angry issues Orka and the girl who is trying to show her worth in the wrong side of the battle.
My favorite character was Orka; I always love the badass female character who is the most powerful warrior of the group, the one everyone is afraid of and whose problem seems to be that she’s way too good at killing. How her personality fitted perfectly with her husband Thorkel was the highlight of the book for me but, by the end of the book, I needed something more than her awesome warrior skills to keep me going.
John Gwynne is really good at writing battles, they always play like a movie in my head, so I understand the hype surrounding this book. But for someone who already felt Of Blood and Bone was a bit too action-packed, reading The Shadow of the Gods felt like going back to the same constant battles with a different scenery.
To sum up, I don’t argue that The Shadow of the Gods is Gwynne’s best work to date, but it’s definitely not the one meant for me. I would rather have less fight scenes, otherwise the feeling of thrill becomes a 'here we go again' followed by a sight. I love seeing how the characters interact and how they constantly change and I was expecting this series to be something completely new, not the continuation of what we saw in The Banished Land. Maybe Gwynne’s style and my personal taste are progressing in different directions and there is nothing to be done about it.
Thank you Ren for buddy reading this one with me, even if we are back to picking up the wrong books for us ☃️☃️...more
“We supposed to fight all this lot? When do we get a rest?” He shrugged his shoulders, squeezed his lips together like he was thinking about i
“We supposed to fight all this lot? When do we get a rest?” He shrugged his shoulders, squeezed his lips together like he was thinking about it. “When we’re dead?”
While book one felt like a promise of what was yet to come, Before They Are Hanged throws some light on what’s really going on in the bigger picture. The characters stop just letting themselves drift downstream and wonder what they are doing with their lives. Although we may not have started with the right foot, Before They Are Hanged has ended up being the best fantasy book I’ve read so far this year.
I can’t lie to you: reading this after finishing my second five star of the year (2ha) was not ideal, especially taking into account a year has passed since I read the first book in the series. I was this close to dnf it, I kept telling myself ‘why? why are you doing this to me?’ until, somehow, I saw myself laughing at a certain joke, shipping two characters, deciding one of the POVs was indeed my favorite-but that other isn't bad either. Two hundred pages into it, I had decided there was no way I wasn’t going to finish it. Three hundred pages into it, I had realized I was enjoying every single POV. By the time I reached the ending everything I could think of was 1) how much would it take for the third volume to arrive here? 2) should I also order a couple of standalones to binge read the entire universe?
But back to the book. Like real people, Joe Abercrombie characterization manages to keep a continuous evolution that shows how the characters keep changing and maturing and becoming a better version-thank god-of their still very flawed selves.
This time it was Logen who carried the book for me: his loneliness, loyalty and will to be better made his POV my baby. I loved how he made it his duty to create a team out of a handful of strangers picked up at random who kept grunting at each other. I loved him so much that I realized I was-silly me-shipping him with the most unfriendly face between said comrades. I was laughing at myself because there was no way we were having a romance between the two brute warriors in an epic fantasy book. I should have known that Abercrombie wasn’t done charming me into loving this, because we even got some smut–fantasy-level smut, calm your romance reader expectations. It was interesting how this is one of the very few times that the romance inside an adult fantasy doesn't seem shoehorned in. Especially because calling it romance it’s a stretch; there is nothing romantic about it, yet it felt so real I couldn’t help but suffer their confusion along with them. It was almost funny, seeing that very independent warrior lying to herself promising it wouldn’t happen again.
“You expect too much out of life, ().” He grinned. “And here was me thinking you expect too little.” “Expect nothing and you won’t be disappointed.” “Expect nothing and you’ll get nothing.”
But Logen and his love life weren’t the only stars in this book-even if they were the brightest ones. This entire book is an ode to great characterization and there is nothing I value more than layers on my characters. I love when they surprise you, make you love them and hate them and cheer for them and wish they were dead. None of them were pretty human beings, but I enjoyed even that silly prince who was begging to be silenced.
“I owe you a lot, I know. It’s just that…you’re too angry for me. That’s all.” He stared at her as she trudged off up the hill after the Northmen, hardly able to believe his ears. She was happy to bed that stinking savage, but he was too angry? It was so unfair he almost choked on his rage.
Overall, Before They Are Hanged gives us the same ingredients as book one: exquisite humor and people rather than characters, while also adding a sense of progression both in action and character arc. It was so satisfying, seeing all those characters starting to become more, that I’m as excited to read the conclusion as I’m dreading having to say goodbye. I only hope my favorite couple manages to reach the end breathing, but you know what they say:
Hope is for the weak.
↬ The First Law: 1. The Blade Itself: 3 stars 2. Before They Are Hanged: 4 stars 3. Last Argument of Kings: 4 stars
I don’t know what’s more scary than Malazan Book of the Fallen: the constant reviews of people saying it’s super confusing to read (always with that sI don’t know what’s more scary than Malazan Book of the Fallen: the constant reviews of people saying it’s super confusing to read (always with that scream on the background: but it’s going to be so worth it!) or the minority of elitists who think they are entitled to attack you if you dare say anything about their favorite book that doesn’t sound like an ode. That’s the reason why I promised myself I was never going to pick it up-until I randomly decided to write it down as my own personal challenge for summer 23’.
You may be thinking: ‘why would anyone volunteer to be butchered when there are thousands of fantasy series?’. Well, because there are so many people who love these series with all their hearts that even if the chance of me being one of them was only 5%, it would still be worth the try. Because, if you want to know something about me, know that there is nothing I love more than finding a new fandom full of material to immerse yourself in, and Book of the Fallen checked all the boxes.
Reading Gardens of the Moon ended up being a whole journey in itself. There were times where I would have given up my pinky finger to be enlightened on what was happening, how the magic system worked and ‘what are those things?’. Those were the times when I wondered about why I hated myself so much to put this as a challenge. But there were also times when I couldn’t stop reading; when I realized Tattersail was a goddess I liked very much, that Paran was going to discover his childhood dream was a bit of a nightmare and that it was kinda fun how much was yet to discover.
While I understand being confused was part of the rite of passage and that a lot of people seem to love waiting, I’m not someone known for having patience. If it was any other book, I wouldn’t even have finished it-what’s the point of following something you are not quite catching? I have enough of that when my professors start explaining quantum physics, thank you very much, and it doesn’t take me a few books to reach the moment of understanding. What moved me to keep reading were the characters. Malazan is known for the epic world-building, but universes like that always come with a huge cast of characters, and characters will always be my kryptonite. Slowly but surely, you’ll want to know what is going to happen with them, because Steven Erickson is one of those authors who can kill anyone at any moment-and there are little things I love more than a red wedding. There are too many of them to mention but Paran was my first love and, as much as I adored Tattersail and the Bridgeburners, Quick Ben was my endgame-I really need to know everything he has done!
‘Most officers are terrified of the Bridgerburners. Word is, the mortality rate’s so high because half of the captains end up with a dagger in their back.’
()The game had stopped, and all eyes had fixed on him. Sweat broke out under Paran’s clothing. ‘And for what I’ve seen so far, I’m likely to believe that rumor. But I’ll tell you something-all of you-if I die with a knife in my back, it’d better be because I earned it. Otherwise, I will be severely disappointed.’
Several things surprised me reading this: there aren’t a lot of descriptions-thank god, because if the author had tried to explain everything, it would have been all this book would cover-, there is action since the beginning and the dialogues were amazing. Sometimes people undervalue the power of having strong dialogues: you can give so much information about the situation and the characters using them and, let’s be real, our eyes tend to focus more on the dialogues than on random sentences in the middle of a paragraph.
As for the action, I have to admit some of the epic scenes were lost on me because I was confused about what was happening, but there was this battle that made me want to read the whole book-that battle with Tattersail at the beginning-, and a scene with Quick Ben that, for once, brought me more curiosity than frustration. I need to read the second book, if only because I need to know more of Quick Ben. If he’s not in book two, please don’t say anything to break my excitement. I would rather figure it out by myself when (if) I reach the ending of Deadhouse Gates.
Overall, Gardens of the Moon was an introduction to a very huge universe, but also a huge experience by itself. While I’m still not sure whether this would end up being for me at the end, I don’t regret the month invested reading it. I liked it and, while I wished it was less confusing because being lost made me lose interest and get bored at times, my interest in some characters compensated for when I was lost in the plot.
‘Kruppe envies those who can look down upon everyone else.’
‘It is easy to fool oneself,’ Rake answered, ‘into viewing those beneath one as small and insignificant. The risks of oversight, you might say.’
I can’t believe we have reached the end. After the four books of The Faithful and The Fallen
Sometimes the only answer is blood and steel.
I can’t believe we have reached the end. After the four books of The Faithful and The Fallen (TFATF) and this sequel trilogy, you may think I should be ready for this. I’m not. While TFATF touched me on a deeper level that Of Blood and Bone didn’t quite achieve, both series deserve way more praise than they get and will forever live in my heart.
A Time Of Courage (#3) offered what had been promised in A Time of Blood (#2): hundreds of pages full of revenge, death, pain and a very satisfying ending for all the character arcs. I have to admit this trilogy ended up being a bit too action packed for me but, for those who love reading loads of detailed fights, you can’t do better than Gwynne. I cannot think of another author that would be able to keep me entertained during a last battle that lasted over two hundred pages, worried that the next page may end up with the death of one of my favorites.
The fear was real: there were casualties among the good ones too how dare you kill them ...more
Second installment in Of Blood and Bone series (sequel of TFATF), A Time Of Blood gives you exactly what its title promises: fights, action and loads Second installment in Of Blood and Bone series (sequel of TFATF), A Time Of Blood gives you exactly what its title promises: fights, action and loads of pain. For better or worse, there wasn’t a moment to breathe and regroup; the characters kept jumping from one battle to another, their lives constantly at stake. Maybe that explains why I finished in two sittings yet I still felt a bit bittersweet about it.
I’m sure I’ve said this before, but it needs to be said again: it shows when an author knows what they are writing about. Not every author has wielded a sword and practiced the movements he’s writing about with his sons. I’ve never considered myself a fan of action-it’s still not my favorite part-, but I’m obsessed with the way Gwynne’s fights always come to life.
Another strong part of his works is the writing. I often struggle with fantasy storytelling, often too stilted and over-filled with descriptions. But Gwynne’s was polished through his debut series, TFATF, and now it has the right amount of personality without being too flowery.
While it’s a matter of taste, my main problem was how action-driven this was. I prefer character-driven stories; TFATF had for me the right amount of both. A Time Of Blood was so filled with battles that, although exciting and addicting, I never felt them in my bones the way I did in his previous books. While plenty of characters were likable, there weren’t many scenes outside the battles to feel them enough for your heart to race every time they were in danger. I found myself flying through the book, but never really caring about who was dying and who wasn’t-at least not in the way I cared in TFATF.
Correlated with the low amount of interactions between the characters outside the battlefield was the low amount of humor. I’m not someone who needs comedy in a fantasy but I like a book that can get a couple of laughs out of me. There was only one character who was sassy enough to give the book a bit of spice-the only one I refused to see dead.
‘Come on, Drem. () Let’s see how many bruises we can earn today.’ Drem looked at Riv and touched his temple. ‘I love Cullen like a brother (). But he’s totally mad. He doesn’t just like fighting, which is bad enough–he likes getting hit.’
Overall, although it may not seem like it, Gwynne is my favorite fantasy author and deserves every single praise I’ve given him in previous reviews. A Time of Blood was too action–packed for me but it shouldn’t be a problem if you are here only for the thrill of the battle. It was still addicting enough to be finished in a couple of sittings and leave me needing to see the final outcome.
PS: I wish I could kneel in front of Byrne to give her my oath.
‘But if–’ ‘No. () Everything’s easy looking back at the path you’ve trod, and it’s a fool’s game to try.’
↬ The FaithFul and The Fallen (TFATF): 1. Malice: 4.25 stars 2. Valour: 4.25 stars 3. Ruin: 5 stars 4. Wrath: 5 stars
Note: I watched the donghua, cried my heart out, consumed an improper amount of fanfics and read this -twice-, before attempting to do this very objeNote: I watched the donghua, cried my heart out, consumed an improper amount of fanfics and read this -twice-, before attempting to do this very objective review.
Thirteen years have passed since the Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian, founder of demonic cultivation was eradicated. People are starting to feel at ease and clans are flourishing in this time of peace. Only one person is still waiting for him.
Living once was painful enough, Wei Wuxian wasn’t looking for a repeat. But when a boy sacrifices his body so that Wei Wuxian can avenge him, he is brought back to the real world. Now he has to fulfill his duty and stay hidden from his little brother, who is still looking for him because dying once was not enough, and the honored Lan Wanji, who used to be obsessed with punishing him for using illegal cultivation.
Wei Wuxian must have run out of luck. In his first week on earth he insults a teen who ends up being his dear nephew, faces a very suspicious little brother and is saved from none other than Lan Wanji. And now Lan Wanji is bringing him to the most boring, hateful place, the Lan Clan, and keeps acting weird when Wei Wuxian tries to infuriate him. If he didn’t know better, he would say Lan Wanji is also possessed…
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS) is a fast-paced epic xianxia story that follows troublesome Wei Wuxian and ruler-lover Lan Wanji. Set in ancient China and rich in plotlines and character dynamics, MXTX was able to create one of the most engaging, mindblowing and unforgettable tales I’ve ever read. If you enjoy slow burn MM romance and complex fantasy, this series may be your new addiction.
I’m someone who tries to stay away from fantasy romance because experience has told me I’d rather read them separately. They usually have a duller, less original plot and magic system in exchange for having glimpses of a romance that tends to have too many unnecessary cliffhangers and one satisfying scene right before it finishes. MXTX broke all the stereotypes giving an extremely well-thought story that needs to be read twice to catch every single detail of this complex story. Even if you are reading it for the plot, you won’t be disappointed. But it also has romance, and it makes it a billion times better.
The book goes back and forth in present and past, dividing your heart into the need to see them interact in their current states and learn the history that brought them there. It’s full of mystery, action and promises of what is yet to come. It was addicting!
The writing was the only thing I didn’t love. Being a translation from Chinese, I feel we were losing half the meaning and sometimes it didn’t flow as I would have liked. Still, I’m extremely grateful we do have a translation.
WangXian
“Lan Zhan, I’m back! () did you miss me?”
Lan Wangji was like an old monk entering deep meditation, seeing all as nothing. He was even somewhat numb as he continued to sort his little pile of books scrolls. Wei Wuxian purposely twisted the meaning of his silence and continued on.
“You don’t even have to say anything. I know you must’ve missed me, or why would you have been watching me from the window earlier?”
Model students shouldn’t mix with troublemakers, but Lan Wanji decided to keep an eye on Wei Wuxian from the first night the boy put his feet on Gusu, hands full of Emperor’s Smile and trying to bribe him with alcohol to let him pass. Wei Wuxian loves breaking rules as much as Lan Wanji loves to follow them. Wei Wuxian talks about using forbidden techniques and creating new solutions that are not in the books, and gets punished again and again. There is an ever-present smile lingering in his lips while he tries to do the only thing nobody else dares to: talk with Lan Wanji, tease him until he loses all his composure. Everyone knows Wei Wuxian drives Lan Wanji crazy. Everyone knows Lan Wanji hates him. But does he, really?
You’ll only see a peek of their dynamics here, of how they progressed as characters, but it’s more enough to realize there is a lot Lan Wanji is not telling Wei Wuxian. I especially loved how the author was able to show the differences between Lan Wanji as a teenager and as an adult, how much he changed without losing his essence.
Lan Wanji/Lan Zhan
“Ain’t that strange. How can such a dull person always make me so happy?”
At first glance, Lan Wanji seems like the role model student who doesn’t care about anything more than following rules and routine bc everyday is everyday. Without more friends than his own brother and no will to change it, Lan Wanji spends his days improving his cultivation. But there is a temper hidden behind his glassy eyes saved for a certain troublemaker that could set the world on fire.
Lan Wanji was the whole reason I cried my heart out watching the donghua. He’s the kind of person who is more into actions than words, who will move mountains for those he loves and never take credit. I’ve never been into quiet boys, yet he has spoiled all other men for me.
Wei Wuxian/Wei Ying
“There are a few sappy things one must say.” “What?” “‘Thank you’ and ‘I’m sorry’,” Wei Wuxian replied. “Well, I refuse. What’re you gonna do about it?” “There’ll come a day when you’ll say them through your tears.”
Everyone knows trouble and fun go hand by hand when you are meeting Wei Wuxian. He’s the kind of person that knows the rules only to see the loopholes in them, who can put everyone in place with his quick wit. But, above all, Wei Wuxian's biggest flaw is being too selfless for his own good. No matter who is in danger, he will be the first one running to help, never caring about what will happen to him. It broke my heart the way people hated him when he spent his whole life trying to help those he cared about, even if it wasn’t the right path. That’s another reason why I loved Lan Zhan with all my heart: Wei Wuxian deserved to be protected at all costs.
I’ll stop here so I don’t make an ode, spoil everyone and still not make it justice to the masterpiece this book/series is. And don’t get me started with how stunning the paperbacks are, I could spend hours admiring all the drawings and cloud details.
For those who read the book
If you discover MDZS by reading the book first, I’d highly recommend rereading it. There are so many things you’ll see with other eyes once you know everything that happened ...more
I started reading this novella annoyed because I wanted to read about Kaladin, Dalinar, Shallan, Adolin… not this Rysn. I finished the novella heartbrI started reading this novella annoyed because I wanted to read about Kaladin, Dalinar, Shallan, Adolin… not this Rysn. I finished the novella heartbroken because I need Rysn as a main character and I can’t believe she’s not.
Thousands of unnecessary pages full of plot holes, messy relationships and very flat villains are more than enough to make Shen Yuan a very angry readThousands of unnecessary pages full of plot holes, messy relationships and very flat villains are more than enough to make Shen Yuan a very angry reader when he finally reaches the ending of the webnovel he’s been following forever.
What he doesn’t expect is to transmigrate to the webnovel as the baddest of the villains, the one all the fandom hated until he was joyfully murdered at the end. He’s not even transmigrating to the beginning of the book: his alter ego has already started bullying Luo Binghe, hero of the story and his future assassin, but there is nothing Shen can’t save with a bit of sweetness and good manners, right?
[OCC Warning!!]
Stop there, it’s not so easy. Every time Shen acts Out Of Character, the system of the novel is deducting points from him, bringing him closer to death. He needs a good strategy if he wants to survive this. Thankfully, he has all those years of fan knowledge to make Luo like him and save his sorry ass for the upcoming death. If only the system stopped blocking every single one of his ideas.
Luo Binghe smiled. “Today, the humiliation this disciple once suffered will be returned one hundredfold. For injuring my hands and feet, I’ll tear off your limbs and grind them to dust.”
…And the prize for better premise of the year goes to SVSSS!
Imagine having to not only survive being the bad guy of your favorite novel, but also having to solve all the plot holes and nonsense dramas that bothered you as a reader. The happier readers are, the more points you get, which lets you have more power over your own character. It’s *chef’s kiss*
Not only did Luo Binghe not feel like other people were making things difficult for him, his expression became joyful and satisfied. If Shen Qingqiu were there, he would definitely have suspected that, within the depths of his heart, Luo Binghe was actually an extreme masochist.
On top of that, the whole book is a parody of the fantasy genre: the too-good-to-be-true main character who’s always almost dying but never succeeds-except if you are reading GOT-, how ridiculous the villains are or the infinite remedies the author can come up with. And you are following a POV that is a reader like you, who is thinking the same as you, who keeps making fun of every single absurd thing yet can’t stop himself from falling in love with the story [relatable points: +50]. I lost count of how many times Shen thinks ‘let’s throw Luo to the wolves and save the rest of us, he’s not going to die’, and then proceeds to put himself in danger every time someone threatens his beloved MC.
Reading this book was such a joy, I’ll never be able to make it justice. I’m still in shock it worked for me-I tend to not do well with comedy-, but it was everything I didn’t know I needed. I only hope the romance takes a bit more to appear, because I can’t stand age gaps and the whole teacher-pupil dynamics Shen and Luo have going on is making it hard to imagine them as any more than that *crosses fingers*
“Why does Shizun keep looking at me?” he asked. “Could it be that this disciple was gone for so long that Shizun also missed him?” “I’m not allowed to look at someone I raised?” asked Shen Qingqiu. Luo Binghe chortled. “Of course Shizun is allowed. Am I pleasing to look at?”
I’m aware this is not going to work for everyone, but since I wouldn’t have recommended it to myself either, I’m going to say give it a try if you love fantasy, humor and want to read something chill and different from what you usually go for.
[Luo] knelt beside Shen Qingqiu with bloodshot eyes, choking on sobs. “Shizum..” With great difficulty, Shen Qingqiu lifted an arm and patted Bing-ge’s head like he’d always wanted to. The mouthful of fresh blood he’d been holding back finally spilled falteringly forth. Even if it was going to be like this, he persisted and tenaciously offered a crucial line to farm more favor. “I knew that…you’d definitely win.”...more
Goal for 2024: stop skipping novellas in the middle of a series; believe it or not, they often exist for a reason.
I can’t believe I almost missed theGoal for 2024: stop skipping novellas in the middle of a series; believe it or not, they often exist for a reason.
I can’t believe I almost missed the most romance-heavy part of the whole series-I’m such an idiot. I was expecting a short adventure with Nona and the others, but it was so much more than that. It was a story about kisses. Kisses!! If any romance-lover is thinking about skipping this, don’t be like me and give it a try :)
When people call you a god, you are a god. If they call you crap, you are crap. You are whatever they say you are. It had always been thus.
EighteWhen people call you a god, you are a god. If they call you crap, you are crap. You are whatever they say you are. It had always been thus.
Eighteen hundred years ago, when he was only a little boy, the Xie Lian dream was to save the common people. From crown prince he ascended to a God, beloved and admired by everyone. Then everything went wrong and he started failing, and failing, and failing… Until he became the Misfortune God, the one you only pray to if you want everything to go wrong.
Xie Lian might have ascended for the third time, but he can use no magic, has no believers, no temples, no merits to pay for the damages his last ascension caused. All he owns is the same good heart that had caused him so much trouble. Aided by two junior officials who can’t stop bantering, Xie Lian is sent to a little town where brides are disappearing. But brides won’t be the only thing Xie Lian will find there…
I started this volume knowing they are actually the first chapters of a huge book, and that’s exactly how it felt like: a promising glimpse of what’s yet to come. What I learned was that, to enjoy this, you must be prepared to suspense realistic thoughts, roll your eyes and let yourself laugh. If your heart is able to melt at your fav character being spoiled and cherished in the OTT way, ignoring your brain screaming ‘what the hell are you doing? that doesn’t work like that, then you are in for a ride :)
Xie Lian thought he was going to crash and flatten like a pancake as he had many times before, when suddenly in the darkness there was a flash of silver. The next moment, a pair of hands caught him lightly. Whoever it was caught him perfectly, as if they were waiting there at the bottom just to catch him. ...more
“There are some lessons that must be written in scars.”
After loving Red Sister with all my heart, I was prepared to spend two more books seeing al“There are some lessons that must be written in scars.”
After loving Red Sister with all my heart, I was prepared to spend two more books seeing all the characters I fell for going through classes and surviving the occasional battle, but Mark Lawrence had other plans for them.
Grey Sister took a completely different turn that left me speechless, worried nothing was going to be the same again. I was kinda right, because it was so much better. Everything was new, exciting, surprising. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, didn’t know what they should do, who was going to survive and it was driving me crazy. The continuation of the scene that was the very start of book one is still keeping me on the edge. The more glimpses we get, the stronger is the need to know more.
Those novices are my friends and I would die for them. I would face a terror for them that I haven’t the courage to stand against on my own behalf.
I fell in love with all the characters in Red Sister, but seeing them mature as the stakes grow higher and they start to realize they have been playing a bigger game than they thought made my love grow to obsession.
PS: it’s great to see LGBT+ rep in adult fantasy books through characters that are not secondary ✨
“In the service of the Ancestor, death is but a kiss.”
Of Blood and Fire tells the story of a kingdom divided by an ongoing war, where magical creatures are slowly disappearing while new dangers suDNF 78%
Of Blood and Fire tells the story of a kingdom divided by an ongoing war, where magical creatures are slowly disappearing while new dangers surface. In an isolated town away from trouble, Calen and his two best friends are preparing themselves for The Proving, a test that will make them men if they manage to survive. But soon, they will discover that something more deadly than wolves and bears is waiting for them in the forest…
Ryan Cahill masterfully balances the beginning by giving the perfect amount of information, characters and action, which is something very rare to find. He manages to tell what’s going on -which is not little-, without paragraphs of info-dump, while introducing you to the characters, who are never sitting still. The writing is direct and concise, which may be a problem for someone who prefers beautiful storytelling. Even for someone like me, who prefers simple ones, it feels rather rigid sometimes and it took me a bit to get used to.
You are our family. Maybe not by blood, but water becomes just as thick as blood if you go through enough shit together.
The action didn’t take long to start. There was a scene at 18% where I was shaking with fear of what was going to happen with the characters, following scenes that started as scary and kept increasing until becoming terrifying. My heart was there with them, racing as the danger moved before my eyes, unable to stop to rest because I needed them to get away alive.
What went downhill? Two big problems around 50-60%
1) The characters. Don’t get me wrong, I liked them, but the more I read, the more I felt they didn’t have a lot of depth. Not only could you predict some of their movements/dialogues, some actions also felt a bit out of character. Until something happened, when they had to prove something you'd been told since the beginning, and they completely failed the test. It was like seeing tiny cracks on their surface that make you suspicious and, suddenly, a hole is unveiled. It was obvious they were doing exactly what the author needed to move the plot as he wanted to, instead of doing what they would have done, which it’s something I despise.
2) The dragons -yes, there are dragons!!- reminded me too much of Eragon. Although if you are someone who hasn’t read Eragon or don’t mind that the dragon part of the equation was rather similar, I don’t think you’ll have a problem with this one.
Overall, I can see why so many people loved this -damn, I loved this until 50%-, but I’m very picky when it comes to characters. Even a black hole in the plot doesn’t bother me as much as characters being puppets of the authors. I just couldn’t see anything behind the anger and frustration, couldn’t care about the characters anymore and for that, I decided I might as well say goodbye to the adventure.
The final installment of one of the boldest fantasy series of modern time
Jade City promises gangsters, family drama and magic; Jade War makes it biggeThe final installment of one of the boldest fantasy series of modern time
Jade City promises gangsters, family drama and magic; Jade War makes it bigger and Jade Legacy cleverly wraps all the loose endings to give you the epic finale you were craving all along.
After following the Kaul family for over one thousand pages, seeing them grow and perish, it was difficult to make the story satisfactory without it stopping being unpredictable and unfair, like the rest of the series. I was expecting to only cry and suffer but, while there is also some of that, I finished the book with my mouth open and my heart warm. There was a lot going on; this war wasn’t made of two parties fighting with magic in a final battle, it was made of small economic deals and political maneuvers. It was probably the most similar thing to a modern day cold war between two powerful enemies, and Fonda Lee managed to not only understand all of it, but also make it interesting.
“When is life ever like a story where the characters get exactly what they deserve, good or bad?”
There wasn’t a moment where you could take a breath and relax, every moment was a chance for the enemy to attack and change everything. There were a couple of times where I finally lowered my guard only to be stabbed in the back. When everything seems to be going alright, something bad may happen. When it seems like there is something wrong going on, then run because something terrible will happen. It was exciting, unexpected and so clever that one month after finishing it, I still can’t believe what Fonda Lee was able to achieve here, how she was able to create and solve such an intricate story.
Hilo could have a single ordinary conversation with a man and make him loyal for life.
As with book 2, the only reason why it’s not a 5 stars for me it’s because I prefer a bit more of the old open war with martial-arts-and-magic action scenes than the whole economic-political battles I don’t quite grasp, but I still love this series with all my heart. I’m all about the characters and dialogues, and you can’t do better than the Kaul family. Being able to not only follow your favorite characters, but also their offspring and enjoying their differences and similarities? It was heaven. I couldn’t stop smiling and fangirling and crying because it hurt
I truly recommend to give The Green Bone saga a try if you like:
Gangsters, modern setting, Assian inspired word building and magic intertwine to tell the story of the Kaul family, creating a whole new subgenre in tGangsters, modern setting, Assian inspired word building and magic intertwine to tell the story of the Kaul family, creating a whole new subgenre in the process.
Only two clans in the world control the market of Jade, which provides superhuman skills to people with the right genetics. This substance can solely be obtained in Kekon, where the Mountain and No Peak have their base. But the rest of the countries are determined to use this weapon in their own wars and have developed a drug that makes Jade work in all humans.
Now everyone wants Jade. The Mountain has been waiting for this to happen and wants to become the only one seller. The Kaul family, leaders of No Peak, refuses to give up without a fight. The tensions start to become collisions and people start to realize a new civil war might be inevitable.
Aside from the original mix of ideas, characters are the essence of this series, with the three Kaul siblings as pillars: Lan, Hilo and Shae. The leader, the warrior, the scholar. But neither of them are exactly what they seem at first sight. The multiple POVs provide the different lenses to give you a final imagen of who they really are. It was especially shocking with Kaul Hilo, who plays the impulsive, fearsome warrior, but also has the most sensitive heart. Genius when it comes to war strategy, the antithesis when it comes to politics. There wouldn’t be war if it wasn’t for Hilo, but he is also the reason why No Peak is still standing.
“What do you value more, your face or your bike?” Hilo asked him. “What?” growled the man. “Your face or your bike,” Hilo repeated. “Which would you choose?” “My face,” he said hesitantly. Instantly, Hilo struck him, breaking his nose.
While Hilo is the shocking, problematic character you will hate and love, the others are easier to relate to. You’ll suffer seeing Lan trying to keep the clan afloat, dealing with the troublesome brother who is the one No Peak people really fights for, living in the shadow of his grandfather, hero of the revolution that freed Kekon decades ago, and without nobody to counsel him. Because the one who was born for politics, his sister Shae, refuses to be a Kaul anymore.
“You scared the shit out of boys. You were always too smart, too dangerous, for some foreign water-blooded pretty face in a uniform. () I could still kill him for you.” “Screw you, Hilo,” Shae snapped. “I can kill my ex-boyfriends myself.”
Shae is trying to find her place in the world. She wants to be her own person, without her last name sealing her fate. Her clan and family despise her for flying to another country with a foreign (ex) boyfriend. Now she is back, she feels like an outsider every place she goes. All the hard work to be the best student, to beat a Hilo in every exam, hasn’t earned her any of the respect her brother receives. But war might be coming. Will she be able to walk away again, knowing her family needs her?
The secondary characters have as much depth as the principal ones, full with their own devils, confusion and dreams. The villain was handled with the same care. Terrifying, yet somewhat relatable, Ayt Mata has both the brain and the Jade skills. She would have been the leader of the Mountain by right if she wasn’t a woman. To reach the position, she had to murder all the male menaces, which has earned a well deserved reputation of badass. It’s not easy to find an antagonist with dreams you can understand if only she wasn’t trying to destroy your favorite characters.
The hard magic system brings to life impossible martial arts, the kind you can only witness in movies. It also comes with a cost: carrying more than you are able can kill you or turn you crazy. The more sensitive you are to Jade, the more you’ll suffer the withdrawal after using it. Fonda Lee uses Anden, a teenager adopted by the Kauls, to show the difficult balance between the two. His fear of turning into his dead mother, the Mad Witch, is confronted by his will to serve the Kauls.
“Expectations are a funny thing. When you’re born with them, you resent them, fight against them. When you’ve never been given any, you feel the lack of them your whole life.”
One of the most remarkable features of Jade City was the author’s talent -and hard work-, to use a scene not only to show you the characters, but also glimpses of history, culture and/or society hierarchy. While there was a lot of information, there wasn’t any moment where I felt overwhelmed by it because it was embedded in the scene.
Although Jade meant many action scenes, politics also played an important role. As someone who is not usually a fan, I was surprised how invested I was in them. Everything that was said felt important and there were moments where the tension was parallel to the one you sense during a fight.
Some people might have problems with the predictable path the storyline follows. You can guess part of the events that will eventually occur, the surprise comes from not knowing how the characters get there. I don’t mind seeing a cloudy big picture if I’m suffering in the small scenes. There were battles where the anxiety of not knowing if my favorite characters were going to survive was driving me crazy.
The only thing that bothered me is that there was a character who did something that felt a bit out of their personality to move the story where the author wanted. I see why they could have done that but I'm still not 100% convinced.
In summary, Jade City is made of mafia-vibes, family dynamics, politics, action, LGBTQ+ rep, Asian inspiration and an amazing cast of characters. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a fantasy like you have never read before!
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