I'm loving this series. This one was even better than the first, and definitely sets up the third really well. I was a little skeptical about this newI'm loving this series. This one was even better than the first, and definitely sets up the third really well. I was a little skeptical about this new "Flintlock Fantasy" trend, but if this is typical of the subgenre, I'm sold....more
I read this a few weeks ago, and though I usually write my reviews right away, I didn't. I honestly didn't feel inspired to do anything but check the I read this a few weeks ago, and though I usually write my reviews right away, I didn't. I honestly didn't feel inspired to do anything but check the 3-stars and move to something else.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book, because I did. It was superbly written and had that Gaiman charm. An early chapter really got under my skin on a creepy level (view spoiler)[the worm in the foot - holy shit! (hide spoiler)], and I had very high hopes at that point.
But overall, it just didn't strike me as anything special. Good, but not fantastic. Enjoyable, but nothing to write Mom about. Was I disappointed then? Not really. The length pretty much indicated that it wasn't going to be another American Gods/Neverwhere. Between that and the blurb, I expected something around the quality of The Graveyard Book or Coraline. And that's right about where it falls.
I've seen the debate/conversation about whether to classify this as an adult novel, or a younger reader's book. I can see either side, but I'd probably stick to the adult thinking. What it felt like to me was the story of an adult remembering his childhood. A child's story seen through adult eyes.
All in all, this is a good addition to the Gaiman collection. Not a personal favorite, but definitely worth the time invested....more
I received a free ebook ARC copy of this book from NetGalley. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review thI received a free ebook ARC copy of this book from NetGalley. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
4.5 stars. Very nice, satisfyingly fun read.
I really enjoy these books. Sullivan does have some great world-building going on, but it comes up in snippets, not bogging down the story. Otherwise he keeps it at a brisk pace and character driven. The characters are enjoyable and I really get invested. Royce and Hadrian are great together, complimenting each other with skills and constant banter.
And this is their origin story. Or, at least, the origin of their partnership. They're brought together and we get to see how this mismatched pair ends up working together. As prequels go, this is fantastic.
The supplemental characters are good too, notably Gwen and Arcadius. We see how they come into the story as well, as they're also familiar faces from the Riyria Revelations.
And the best part is, there's another book coming out next month......more
A solid 3-stars. At time I thought it might go up to 4, as it has some intriguing world-building and an interesting main character. It dragged quite aA solid 3-stars. At time I thought it might go up to 4, as it has some intriguing world-building and an interesting main character. It dragged quite a bit in the middle, but then finished strong. I'm curious to see where Taylor will go in the sequel....more
It reminds me of Ocean's Eleven meets The Italian Job, but set in Mordor after Sauron has ruled for 1000 years or so. In many fantasy stories, a dark It reminds me of Ocean's Eleven meets The Italian Job, but set in Mordor after Sauron has ruled for 1000 years or so. In many fantasy stories, a dark lord is rising and it is up to our heroes to defeat him before that happens. In this, the Dark Lord is already set in place as the status quo and the heroes have to motivate others to want a change.....Yet there is a noble class of The Lord Ruler's flunkies who will need to be scammed and robbed along the way, to finance this big revolt.....I love it...
The pace, style, and grand-heist-scheme-in-a-fantasy-setting plot remind me of Michael J. Sullivan's The Crown Conspiracy while the characters and rags-to-revolutionary story make me think of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Certainly a great blending, as both of these were recent 5-star reviews for me....
Okay, now I've finished it. All I can say is WOW. Why did I wait so long to read this? I must read the other two books in the series very soon..........more
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