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kmemme's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really enjoyed the first two books of this series, but this one just didn't seem to finish well. The plot came together in the end, but it felt fumbled and kind of far reaching.
Senacus: it was great in the first two books with character building and seemed like an important character, but halfway through this book he just gets left behind and that's it for his story besides the few pages at the end of the book. It seemed like a big build up with little follow though. Jan: once again, the first two books were really well paced and it was exciting to learn more about him as time went on, but it the end it felt very "oh yeah, this is how it ended. K, bye!" Especially with his long lost child.. like it seemed like such a good plot then it was hardly brought up or resolved until the last few pages of the book. It seemed like the author has a bunch of great things going, but it was too far away from the main plot, so it was all an afterthought to wrap it up. It was very underwhelming. Demian: once again, he was a very interesting character with a dark background and was very gripping throughout the series... Until this book. I have no problem with authors killing off main characters, but it felts so unfinished for him. Especially because not all of him was dead... Who is the being that now inhabits his body, what happened to him, why is he not relevant in the story any longer. Keilan: for the main character he is very underwhelming throughout the entire series. Yes he's new to his powers, and very young and untrained, but you would expect some sort of build up with each story to make his mark in the book more memorable, but nope. In the end, I honestly don't understand why he was there. He's the main character with supporting character qualities. He gets a cut from the black blade and it seems likes something major is going to come from that, but still nothing really does.
There was so much potential with all these little interest side quest and story lines and it fell short. Overall though the series was good and it ended okay, so that's a plus. I just wish there had been more substance to it.
bookish_satty's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this book a lot more than Book 2 because we ultimately get to the conclusion of this specific arc of the overarching plot by the end of Book 3. All the characters come together in the end and their separate storylines merge seamlessly and it was such an awesome experience to read them interact and work together. The pacing felt a bit slow but it didn't hamper my enjoyment much. I loved the magical duels in this book.
This trilogy has one of my all time favourite villains in it and that is (view spoiler) I really love those villains who are not totally bad but morally grey and have their own beliefs and vulnerabilities and motivations. For me the perfect characterization of a noteworthy Villain is achieved when an author succeeds in making me love the character but hate their actions and in my opinion that is how an excellent villain should make you feel.
Another favorite character of mine is Senacus. He went through so much character development in this trilogy and I liked where his character finally ended up but I would have liked if he had more role to play in the final outcome.
Nell is another character who despite being a side character shines through this entire trilogy. She may not have flashy powers but her characterization is awesome in my opinion. Her character is fierce but emotionally vulnerable too depending on the situation she is in. Often female leads who are shown as badass has no emotional vulnerability to them as if in order to be tough you have to give up emotions completely but that is impossible. Moreover I liked that she isn't overtly snarky. Too much snark or constant bad mouthing doesn't equal to your battle prowess.
I liked Jan a lot in the first book and I'm happy that we got to see more of him in this book but his character didn't get the time to develop properly. Cho Lin was spectacular too.
The writing was great and the audiobook narration was awesome too.
There is only one problem I have with this trilogy and i.e. Keilan's character. I didn't like his character at all especially because this entire story revolves around him.
Keilen wasn't my favorite because his character is just too naïve and his decisions infuriated me half the time especially as he is the main POV most of the time. Him being the sweet innocent child in Book 1 was okay but he didn't go through much development in the next 2 books either. To me he felt like a dead weight for the other characters to carry half the time but always accidentally rescues everyone at the last moment by blundering in. Both his acts of vanquishing the foe in Book 2 and 3 are purely accidental and not because of his immense power which everyone is lusting after and constantly commenting on. By Book 3 I was like 'man I know he is oh so magical stop repeating that and let me see him utilize that power for once on paper when he isn't just by pure chance or luck defeating his foes and waking away unscathed!'
The final battle was great in all other manner but it felt like Keilan was there only because his grandmother cut him with the magical dagger and which helps him to finally convince a demon child to side with him because he is the epitome of goodness (what crap!) He mainly doesn't do anything in all 3 books but other characters are constantly having to rescue him and even die trying to keep him safe because he is oh so special and powerful but we don't get to see him do anything important with his powerful sorcery. I think the author wanted to expand the world in later books and then Keilan will play a major part in the plot progression where he is not the damsel in distress for once but alas! I don't think that will happen anytime soon.
This trilogy has one of my all time favourite villains in it and that is (view spoiler) I really love those villains who are not totally bad but morally grey and have their own beliefs and vulnerabilities and motivations. For me the perfect characterization of a noteworthy Villain is achieved when an author succeeds in making me love the character but hate their actions and in my opinion that is how an excellent villain should make you feel.
Another favorite character of mine is Senacus. He went through so much character development in this trilogy and I liked where his character finally ended up but I would have liked if he had more role to play in the final outcome.
Nell is another character who despite being a side character shines through this entire trilogy. She may not have flashy powers but her characterization is awesome in my opinion. Her character is fierce but emotionally vulnerable too depending on the situation she is in. Often female leads who are shown as badass has no emotional vulnerability to them as if in order to be tough you have to give up emotions completely but that is impossible. Moreover I liked that she isn't overtly snarky. Too much snark or constant bad mouthing doesn't equal to your battle prowess.
I liked Jan a lot in the first book and I'm happy that we got to see more of him in this book but his character didn't get the time to develop properly. Cho Lin was spectacular too.
The writing was great and the audiobook narration was awesome too.
There is only one problem I have with this trilogy and i.e. Keilan's character. I didn't like his character at all especially because this entire story revolves around him.
The final battle was great in all other manner but it felt like Keilan was there only because his grandmother cut him with the magical dagger and which helps him to finally convince a demon child to side with him because he is the epitome of goodness (what crap!) He mainly doesn't do anything in all 3 books but other characters are constantly having to rescue him and even die trying to keep him safe because he is oh so special and powerful but we don't get to see him do anything important with his powerful sorcery. I think the author wanted to expand the world in later books and then Keilan will play a major part in the plot progression where he is not the damsel in distress for once but alas! I don't think that will happen anytime soon.
arachnichemist's review against another edition
5.0
There is always a worry in starting a trilogy that the author won't stick the landing. That is not the case here. The last 150 pages absorbed me much to my wife's annoyance as she wanted to go out early today and get some things done, but I had to finish.
The character growth continued to be excellent and I felt like the dialogue between characters continued to improve as well. I felt in the last two books that it was a bit stilted, but it did improve in this book. The world building continues to be incredible and is worth a read for that alone. I do like how this trilogy wraps up neatly, but leaves a bunch of bread crumbs for the next trilogy. I will be pre ordering that one as soon as the option is available.
The character growth continued to be excellent and I felt like the dialogue between characters continued to improve as well. I felt in the last two books that it was a bit stilted, but it did improve in this book. The world building continues to be incredible and is worth a read for that alone. I do like how this trilogy wraps up neatly, but leaves a bunch of bread crumbs for the next trilogy. I will be pre ordering that one as soon as the option is available.
gbdub's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.25
wzwy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
leksikality's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
0.25
It's a fantasy world that has exactly the same cultural aesthetics as ours with the only difference being their names. Oh, and magic.
A lot of build up for a fairly quick, obvious, and unsatisfying ending, with loads of threads just left dangling. Honestly, if I didn't have a compulsion about these things (in a real medical way, not a haha exaggeration way) I wouldn't have even finished the first book. So yeah. It's that bad. I only finished the trilogy because of a clinically diagnosed mental disorder.
A lot of build up for a fairly quick, obvious, and unsatisfying ending, with loads of threads just left dangling. Honestly, if I didn't have a compulsion about these things (in a real medical way, not a haha exaggeration way) I wouldn't have even finished the first book. So yeah. It's that bad. I only finished the trilogy because of a clinically diagnosed mental disorder.
gregg's review
3.0
I so wanted to one of these books to be 5 star book book but they never quite made it to that level for me. They are good books and decently written but just lack that little something that makes them really great at least for me. The ending was not that satisfying for me but the story was on par with the other books I think. It almost seemed like they setting up to continue the story in more books down the line which I would like to read if that was the case. A solid trilogy overall and one that will enjoy reading again at some point like most books I have enjoyed reading.
cpark2005's review
5.0
Alec Hutson concludes his sprawling, epic fantasy trilogy with The Shadow King. This is epic fantasy in a classic vein written for modern audiences. It’s excellent. The characters come alive, and we cheer for their successes and mourn for their failures. The world building continues to be phenomenal, and the plot rushes to a superb conclusion.
As the third book in the trilogy, The Shadow King has the advantage of all the setup having happened in the previous books. That means it could focus entirely on bringing threads together for a stunning endgame—and it does that perfectly. From the opening pages, we’re swept up again in a story of sorcerers and paladins, of nearly immortal plotters and upstart queens, and of a boy discovering what it means to live a life fraught with magic. If these sound like classic fantasy tropes that’s because they are, but Hutson shifts and twists each just enough to make them interesting. That’s one of the reasons I love this series so much. It feels like classic fantasy, but done in a fresh way. While the plot rushes to its epic conclusion, the characters also draw you in keeping things interesting and fresh. Our main viewpoint characters continue to be engaging in this novel. Each plot point tends to be tied into something that furthers the development of our characters as well, and that’s something I always appreciate in my fantasy. In this case, it helps to keep the sprawling plot grounded in the human lives that these events affect. This grounding is also important because Hutson has crammed an incredible amount of world building into this trilogy. It never feels like it’s too much, however. Rather, each element of the world building combines to form a spectacular backdrop on which the events of the story play out. Half the fun is discovering the history of the world and how that history has brought the world and the characters to the present crisis. This world building extends to the marvelous magic that Hutson lets us see at nearly every turn. So much of what I love about epic fantasy plays out on these pages. Masterfully done, I enjoyed every moment.
What few things I didn’t like are small. The book can move a little slowly at times, especially in the first half. I didn’t mind this because it was easy to see how things were coming together, but it might be a larger negative for those who prefer a very fast-paced narrative. In terms of the characters, they are each engaging, and they all develop in ways that feel real. However, for a few of them, I didn’t feel as much emotional connection as I might have liked. There were certain moments when I felt like a deeper emotional connection to the character might have elevated my experience of the story. Even so, I found the tale to have more than enough to adore without this.
Hutson’s The Shadow King is a wonderful conclusion to his epic trilogy. It has a perfect classic fantasy feel. A wonderful epic fantasy to read curled in a blanket on a snowy morning sipping coffee. The way the various plot threads come together in a satisfying way is a masterful achievement. It's epic fantasy comfort food in the best sense of the term.
9.0/10
4.5/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
As the third book in the trilogy, The Shadow King has the advantage of all the setup having happened in the previous books. That means it could focus entirely on bringing threads together for a stunning endgame—and it does that perfectly. From the opening pages, we’re swept up again in a story of sorcerers and paladins, of nearly immortal plotters and upstart queens, and of a boy discovering what it means to live a life fraught with magic. If these sound like classic fantasy tropes that’s because they are, but Hutson shifts and twists each just enough to make them interesting. That’s one of the reasons I love this series so much. It feels like classic fantasy, but done in a fresh way. While the plot rushes to its epic conclusion, the characters also draw you in keeping things interesting and fresh. Our main viewpoint characters continue to be engaging in this novel. Each plot point tends to be tied into something that furthers the development of our characters as well, and that’s something I always appreciate in my fantasy. In this case, it helps to keep the sprawling plot grounded in the human lives that these events affect. This grounding is also important because Hutson has crammed an incredible amount of world building into this trilogy. It never feels like it’s too much, however. Rather, each element of the world building combines to form a spectacular backdrop on which the events of the story play out. Half the fun is discovering the history of the world and how that history has brought the world and the characters to the present crisis. This world building extends to the marvelous magic that Hutson lets us see at nearly every turn. So much of what I love about epic fantasy plays out on these pages. Masterfully done, I enjoyed every moment.
What few things I didn’t like are small. The book can move a little slowly at times, especially in the first half. I didn’t mind this because it was easy to see how things were coming together, but it might be a larger negative for those who prefer a very fast-paced narrative. In terms of the characters, they are each engaging, and they all develop in ways that feel real. However, for a few of them, I didn’t feel as much emotional connection as I might have liked. There were certain moments when I felt like a deeper emotional connection to the character might have elevated my experience of the story. Even so, I found the tale to have more than enough to adore without this.
Hutson’s The Shadow King is a wonderful conclusion to his epic trilogy. It has a perfect classic fantasy feel. A wonderful epic fantasy to read curled in a blanket on a snowy morning sipping coffee. The way the various plot threads come together in a satisfying way is a masterful achievement. It's epic fantasy comfort food in the best sense of the term.
9.0/10
4.5/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing