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hidusty's review against another edition
5.0
Angst returns and life has not been the sunshine and roses he might have expected after realizing his dreams of becoming a hero of Unsel. In saving those he loved he was forced to separate himself from his magic sword Chryslaenor and it’s killing him. Literally.
If that wasn’t bad enough, a stranger shows up from a recently destroyed coastal city and trouble looms. It soon comes to Angst’s attention that the elements themselves have gone to war. Couple this with his sword being stolen, a friend going missing and the fact that he’s dying and things are bound to be more.. Angsty.
And this title holds especially true in the sequel. While the first book of the series had a lighter tone, the sequel presents a more somber tone. When you consider everything happening to Unsel, Ehrde and even Angst, I suppose that is to be expected. I can’t remember too many laughs, I read a pre-release copy of the book and it’s been a short while but I can remember being very much taken by the story as it rolled out.
It’s a darker fantasy novel than the first book but still satisfying. It’s even better than the first, which is high praise given how much I enjoyed Angst. If you were only interested in Angst due to the comedy, you’ll be disappointed with Buried in Angst. But if you grew to care about Angst, Heather, Victoria, Rose, Tarness, Hector and Dallow then you will be happy to reunite with old friends and learn what has come to pass and what new adventure awaits.
There will be times along the way when you despair for these characters. There will be times when you question what you know. And then you’ll reach the last page and wish to all that is good and holy that Angst 3 comes sooner than Angst 2 did because Buried in Angst ends in a cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the next book. Pedersen has done it again.
If that wasn’t bad enough, a stranger shows up from a recently destroyed coastal city and trouble looms. It soon comes to Angst’s attention that the elements themselves have gone to war. Couple this with his sword being stolen, a friend going missing and the fact that he’s dying and things are bound to be more.. Angsty.
And this title holds especially true in the sequel. While the first book of the series had a lighter tone, the sequel presents a more somber tone. When you consider everything happening to Unsel, Ehrde and even Angst, I suppose that is to be expected. I can’t remember too many laughs, I read a pre-release copy of the book and it’s been a short while but I can remember being very much taken by the story as it rolled out.
It’s a darker fantasy novel than the first book but still satisfying. It’s even better than the first, which is high praise given how much I enjoyed Angst. If you were only interested in Angst due to the comedy, you’ll be disappointed with Buried in Angst. But if you grew to care about Angst, Heather, Victoria, Rose, Tarness, Hector and Dallow then you will be happy to reunite with old friends and learn what has come to pass and what new adventure awaits.
There will be times along the way when you despair for these characters. There will be times when you question what you know. And then you’ll reach the last page and wish to all that is good and holy that Angst 3 comes sooner than Angst 2 did because Buried in Angst ends in a cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the next book. Pedersen has done it again.
rosenectur's review
5.0
This is the second Angst book, Buried in Angst has more surprises in it, and not like twists and turns (though there are a few of those.) This is not your typical trope filled fantasy.
Pedersen once again takes the well known and gives it a breath of fresh air. Playing with the genre in a way that only someone who truly loves fantasy can. It’s hard to describe just how much these books feel like home for a fantasy reader while also feeling like something completely different. Like staying in an AirB’nB that has the same floor layout as your home but all the furniture is in different places. The book has an air of the unexpected.
Angst defies description in any normal terms of a fantasy hero. He’s middle aged, he’s got marital problems, he’s got bad habits, he’s too friendly with a certain princess, but he’s got a heart of gold and would sacrifice anything for his friends.
The story pivots around the fallout from the first book. The collateral damage that is bound to happen when large magical battles take place aren’t often the subject matter or fantasy novels. Here that collateral damage comes back to bit Angst and Unsel in the behind.
Becoming a hero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Possible spoilers ahead.
However, there are some uncomfortable bits. Particularly with the way the relationship between Angst and Victoria plays out. The problematic way Angst flirts with much younger women, Victoria and Alloria is creepy. Especially when his “friendship” results with the Princess sneaking into his tent naked to sleep next to him.
The upside is that all his friends call him out on how wrong and gross this is. It opens up a big divide between them. One that is not resolved by the end of the book.
This has caused me to do some deep thinking. This series is about a “midlife crisis in medieval times” in that way it’s not a stretch to see these more uncomfortable parts as a midlife fantasy themselves. In a lot of media about midlife middle aged men are portrayed as seeking to be desired by younger women. In fantasy this is a trait we see more often in villains. Angst pretty much throws out the rulebook on hero troupes, so it shouldn’t surprise me that he defies the troupe of “sexual interest”.
So with all that said, do I still like the book? Yes. If it were billed as a YA novel I might have more of a problem accepting it. This is a book for people in midlife and it’s refreshing to have flawed heros (who are flawed in unexpected ways.) It refreshing to have midlife issues addressed in an epic fantasy story, even if they make me uncomfortable. I haven’t read the 3rd book yet but I am hoping it shows some growth in Angst’s character in this area.
Bottom Line:
A fantasy novel that defies expectations and throws troupes out the window. I’d recommend it for mature readers.
Pedersen once again takes the well known and gives it a breath of fresh air. Playing with the genre in a way that only someone who truly loves fantasy can. It’s hard to describe just how much these books feel like home for a fantasy reader while also feeling like something completely different. Like staying in an AirB’nB that has the same floor layout as your home but all the furniture is in different places. The book has an air of the unexpected.
Angst defies description in any normal terms of a fantasy hero. He’s middle aged, he’s got marital problems, he’s got bad habits, he’s too friendly with a certain princess, but he’s got a heart of gold and would sacrifice anything for his friends.
The story pivots around the fallout from the first book. The collateral damage that is bound to happen when large magical battles take place aren’t often the subject matter or fantasy novels. Here that collateral damage comes back to bit Angst and Unsel in the behind.
Becoming a hero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Possible spoilers ahead.
Spoiler
However, there are some uncomfortable bits. Particularly with the way the relationship between Angst and Victoria plays out. The problematic way Angst flirts with much younger women, Victoria and Alloria is creepy. Especially when his “friendship” results with the Princess sneaking into his tent naked to sleep next to him.
The upside is that all his friends call him out on how wrong and gross this is. It opens up a big divide between them. One that is not resolved by the end of the book.
This has caused me to do some deep thinking. This series is about a “midlife crisis in medieval times” in that way it’s not a stretch to see these more uncomfortable parts as a midlife fantasy themselves. In a lot of media about midlife middle aged men are portrayed as seeking to be desired by younger women. In fantasy this is a trait we see more often in villains. Angst pretty much throws out the rulebook on hero troupes, so it shouldn’t surprise me that he defies the troupe of “sexual interest”.
So with all that said, do I still like the book? Yes. If it were billed as a YA novel I might have more of a problem accepting it. This is a book for people in midlife and it’s refreshing to have flawed heros (who are flawed in unexpected ways.) It refreshing to have midlife issues addressed in an epic fantasy story, even if they make me uncomfortable. I haven’t read the 3rd book yet but I am hoping it shows some growth in Angst’s character in this area.
Bottom Line:
A fantasy novel that defies expectations and throws troupes out the window. I’d recommend it for mature readers.
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