Reviews

So this is book four. I loved this book so much. I hate how the brothers are still locked in conflict and still fighting with each other. I hate how Koriani joins Lysaer and how it messes up Arithons work. I love the tense parts and the easy going parts. I can't put this book down. So good. 5 star rating.

thomas_hense's review

Go to review page

adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This wasn't as good as the first three in the series. I hit the wall around 75% of the way in and it was a bit of a slog to the end. My Kindle was showing 95% - "1 hour and 30 minutes left in book" when I finished a chapter expecting the next chapter to be the last chapter, but was surprised to discover the glossary on the next page.
In hindsight I can see how it could have been the last chapter. I think I was still in that slog frame of mind and didn't pick up on his things were being finalized. Sadly underwhelmed.

siddharthageorge's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

riven010101's review

Go to review page

challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

brinstarre's review

Go to review page

adventurous tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

duffypratt's review

Go to review page

2.0

Haven't reviewed the first three books, but I liked them pretty well. This one is the beginning of a third story arc in this long series, and for me, it pretty much seemed to be spinning its wheels. There's an awful lot of verbiage expended for not that much of a payout. There's something off-putting about Wurts' style. In short bursts, her writing can be quite beautiful. But for any extended length and the convoluted sentence constructions just start to wear on me. I particularly dislike how often she uses, improperly, the construction, If this, then... She almost always uses it where the "if" clause is not stating a condition or possibility, but rather describing something factual. Once in a while, this would be OK, but it begins to feel like the construction appears on every page, and sometimes more. And the other thing is that I typically would not notice things like that if I find a novel otherwise engaging. Here, I just do not.

Not sure whether I will continue with this series. Too bad, because the beginning had a lot of promise.

mousie_books's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Lysaer hunts while Arithon runs/hides.

Due to arrogance/denial/pride and the strengthening curse, the war escalates. Lysaer is turning his cause into a holy war to stop not just Arithon, but all magecraft in Athera. He is also starting to claim origins of divinity. Threatened by prophecy, the Koriani join the fray on the side of the Light, with the Prime Matriarch involved in a high stakes plot to ensnare Arithon.

Lysaer finally goes off the deep end in this one. His need to kill his brother at any cost is warping him. At the beginning of the series, he blames only Arithon's devious personality for tricking good people to his aid. This develops into a grudge against the clan that gives their allegiance to Arithon, and shortly thereafter, all clans. Then any individual who aids his brother, and now, all those who practice magic, including/especially Ath's Brotherhood and the Fellowship (and a stiff warning to the Koriani). Along with the ever widening target, the severity of his methods/sense of justice increase. It's hard to feel pity for his circumstance anymore, and blame the curse for it.

I love the plot. I'm a little obsessed with it. It's very well thought out and intricate, and it has a clear development/plan as the series progresses. I am a little surprised that the Koriani are not more threatened by Lysaer, but I think it is arrogance on their part. The Fellowship still annoys me simply because I don't understand the limits of their power/willingness to use their power. I have a better feel for it than before I started the book, but it's still unclear to me. I liked Ships of Merior and Warhost of Vastmark better mostly because the individually personality of the characters did not shine as much (except Caolle) in this book, and I like character driven books more. I'm still looking forward to the next book, and the rest of the series. However, I think I may want to read a less dense book next as a 'break'.

More...