Scan barcode
majorrawne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
trackofwords's review against another edition
3.0
Mephiston is a fascinating character, and the opportunity to learn more about him is a tantalising one…which makes it strange that this novel should offer so little actual insight into him. Mephiston is a remote, almost idealised figure for much of the story, capable of terrifying feats of power but always several steps removed from the reader. There are glimpses of an intriguing vulnerability to him, and occasional moments of development, but we don’t get to really dig into what makes him tick.
As a simple, straight-up action story it works fine – well paced, with some imaginative set pieces and an enjoyable enough plot. It’s just a little disappointing that it plays so safe and tries so little to really expand upon what we already know.
Read the full review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/2017/03/19/mephiston-the-blood-of-sanguinius/
As a simple, straight-up action story it works fine – well paced, with some imaginative set pieces and an enjoyable enough plot. It’s just a little disappointing that it plays so safe and tries so little to really expand upon what we already know.
Read the full review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/2017/03/19/mephiston-the-blood-of-sanguinius/
courland's review against another edition
3.0
I had a good time with this book, but it's let down by two major problems.
First off, the prologue kind of spoils any mystery the plot might have. We're immediatly clued in to who the villains are and what exactly they're doing. Eventually it makes for a satisfying payoff but it's quite frustrating to watch protagonists struggle for answers we already knew from the outset.
The second problem is that the protagonists, aside from Mephiston, feel kind of bland. It often feels like their actions are entirely in service to Mephiston, a character who is so mysterious that at the end of this story I'm still not entirely sure what he is.
Negatives aside, there is still a lot of good to be found here. Hinks is generally really good at making interesting set pieces and fun action scenes, and this is no exception. Despite the mystery that surrounds Mephiston, we still get a good bit of characterization that makes him both terrifyingly strong and at times very vunerable.
With an ending that leaves things open for a sequel I am definitely interested in seeing where this goes, but I'm also left hoping that in the sequel we explore Mephiston more as a character and maybe solve some of his mysteries.
3.5 stars.
First off, the prologue kind of spoils any mystery the plot might have. We're immediatly clued in to who the villains are and what exactly they're doing. Eventually it makes for a satisfying payoff but it's quite frustrating to watch protagonists struggle for answers we already knew from the outset.
The second problem is that the protagonists, aside from Mephiston, feel kind of bland. It often feels like their actions are entirely in service to Mephiston, a character who is so mysterious that at the end of this story I'm still not entirely sure what he is.
Negatives aside, there is still a lot of good to be found here. Hinks is generally really good at making interesting set pieces and fun action scenes, and this is no exception. Despite the mystery that surrounds Mephiston, we still get a good bit of characterization that makes him both terrifyingly strong and at times very vunerable.
With an ending that leaves things open for a sequel I am definitely interested in seeing where this goes, but I'm also left hoping that in the sequel we explore Mephiston more as a character and maybe solve some of his mysteries.
3.5 stars.
grimmauxillatrix's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book does not actually have Mephiston as the main character. It has some random Blood Angels librarian who's mysteriously linked to Mephiston for some reason as the main character. Due to this, the reader doesn't actually learn a whole lot about the Chief Librarian that they wouldn't already know if they were making the deliberate choice to pick up this book.
The plot was entertaining and did make me want to read the rest of the series, but I did come away disappointed with how little the book actually advanced Mephiston's story, which you'd think would be the whole point of the book.
The plot was entertaining and did make me want to read the rest of the series, but I did come away disappointed with how little the book actually advanced Mephiston's story, which you'd think would be the whole point of the book.
More...