Scan barcode
knittyreader's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy through Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
Minori is a nightblade who wants to hold onto the power they still have before it is too late, and the blades are overrun. Kiyoshi is a dayblade tending to the King, trying to keep him alive long enough to make him choose his heir. Both take a different path, both believe that they do what they can to protect both the blades and the kingdom. Then there is Asa, who wants revenge, and with that might upturn everything they both do not want to be upturned.
The characters are so fully builded up from the book, that they appear as whole humans. They have a backstory, their own faults and good deeds, doubts and certainties. All without the book being overly descriptive.
While there is quite enough action, the story is not about that. It touches the underlying deeper layers that make the action.
I noticed that my unfamiliarity with the names made that I had to think harder who was who again for quite some time. It made getting emerged into the story a little harder for me, but it is nothing that cannot be cured by reading the book a second time. Which is absolutely fine with me!
Minori is a nightblade who wants to hold onto the power they still have before it is too late, and the blades are overrun. Kiyoshi is a dayblade tending to the King, trying to keep him alive long enough to make him choose his heir. Both take a different path, both believe that they do what they can to protect both the blades and the kingdom. Then there is Asa, who wants revenge, and with that might upturn everything they both do not want to be upturned.
The characters are so fully builded up from the book, that they appear as whole humans. They have a backstory, their own faults and good deeds, doubts and certainties. All without the book being overly descriptive.
While there is quite enough action, the story is not about that. It touches the underlying deeper layers that make the action.
I noticed that my unfamiliarity with the names made that I had to think harder who was who again for quite some time. It made getting emerged into the story a little harder for me, but it is nothing that cannot be cured by reading the book a second time. Which is absolutely fine with me!
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
Nightblade's Vengeance was an okay book. A tad bit boring here and there but I chugged through it.
Asa, the main character, is out for revenge. Ever since she was told about her father being murdered she has been plotting. She becomes a Nightblade to search for the truth about what happened that day and about a certain person: Osamu. He's basically public enemy number one for her. His death will bring her family peace.
Asa was a bad ass. She reminded me of Arya, from Game of Thrones so many times. She was also pretty interesting and likable. Then there's Minori, who was also likable.. but nothing else really. I liked how their stories grew together and apart but I also have a feeling that I'm not going to really remember them if I don't continue with the series.
Other than the characters, the world was interestingly written. It's ruled by an old king, who is sick, and he also has three lords to help him out. There's also the council of blades that rules over the Nightblades and Dayblades. The Nightblades are powerful warriors and the Dayblades are healers. I also really liked how they could sense things too. For example, sensing people, danger, etc. Then there's the magic aspect too which was amazing.
Overall, I liked the book. I liked how there was no romance shoved into this book and how it was just about Asa and her revenge. Even though I got bored here and there I still enjoyed the book and will gladly dive into the next one.
Asa, the main character, is out for revenge. Ever since she was told about her father being murdered she has been plotting. She becomes a Nightblade to search for the truth about what happened that day and about a certain person: Osamu. He's basically public enemy number one for her. His death will bring her family peace.
Asa was a bad ass. She reminded me of Arya, from Game of Thrones so many times. She was also pretty interesting and likable. Then there's Minori, who was also likable.. but nothing else really. I liked how their stories grew together and apart but I also have a feeling that I'm not going to really remember them if I don't continue with the series.
Other than the characters, the world was interestingly written. It's ruled by an old king, who is sick, and he also has three lords to help him out. There's also the council of blades that rules over the Nightblades and Dayblades. The Nightblades are powerful warriors and the Dayblades are healers. I also really liked how they could sense things too. For example, sensing people, danger, etc. Then there's the magic aspect too which was amazing.
Overall, I liked the book. I liked how there was no romance shoved into this book and how it was just about Asa and her revenge. Even though I got bored here and there I still enjoyed the book and will gladly dive into the next one.
saraishelafs's review against another edition
5.0
Nightblades are not well thought of as some have taken up charging fo services and intimidating the locals. This is the story of one particular nightblade bent on paying the murderer of her father back.
alexiachantel's review against another edition
3.0
Nightblade's Vengeance is difficult to rate. On the plus side is Asa with her desire for revenge, she is well written and holds a main focus of the book. You also have a country on the brink of civil war and the politics were captivating.
On the negative side, there was a lot of repetition. For example:
"Asa watched the faces of the lords as they entered the cemetery. She wasn't impressed. In her mind, a leader was someone who was willing to make any sacrifice to protect his people, and she didn't see that from these two. They had been born into power and didn't understand how to wield it well. She saw this on their faces as they entered the cemetery."
And a major sticking point was the fact that Nightblades are impossible to sneak up on. Even from the first page, the King's Blades don't bother to sneak up on the village of Two Falls because they know the Blades within will sense them and know they are coming. But within the first half of the book Asa, Minori, and Kiyoshi are surprised by someone sneaking up on them, and they are all Blades.
The repetitiveness had me contemplating DNF-ing multiple times. But, the negatives aside, the vividness of the story and Asa's journey kept me reading. Though I don't know if I'll pick up book two or not.
On the negative side, there was a lot of repetition. For example:
"Asa watched the faces of the lords as they entered the cemetery. She wasn't impressed. In her mind, a leader was someone who was willing to make any sacrifice to protect his people, and she didn't see that from these two. They had been born into power and didn't understand how to wield it well. She saw this on their faces as they entered the cemetery."
And a major sticking point was the fact that Nightblades are impossible to sneak up on. Even from the first page, the King's Blades don't bother to sneak up on the village of Two Falls because they know the Blades within will sense them and know they are coming. But within the first half of the book Asa, Minori, and Kiyoshi are surprised by someone sneaking up on them, and they are all Blades.
The repetitiveness had me contemplating DNF-ing multiple times. But, the negatives aside, the vividness of the story and Asa's journey kept me reading. Though I don't know if I'll pick up book two or not.
endlessmidnight's review against another edition
2.0
I feel that this comepletely lacked a focus. The characters were all over the place, and their motives weren’t making me want to push them on at all. I just really felt a loss at that.
I liked Asa initially since she seemed to have a focus but by the end of it. There wasn’t a single thing I knew about her, not to mention a single thing which I knew about all the characters. All of them just blended into one another.
I was looking forward to the intrigue, especially of how the Emperor was losing control of this court. But I didn’t get a lot of that. What I got was a lot of Kiyoshi and the Emperor’s mind, which for lack for better word was rather… boring. That’s the word I will use to describe them.
I just didn’t care enough about any of the blades, or anyone for that matter. Asa was fine but afterwards, it just became a mess of things which didn’t make any sense at all.
As for the world, I was just really really confused. I don’t know what was happening at all. None of it really made any sense at all.
And that is where I figure that I should just drop this. It isn’t worth my time.
I liked Asa initially since she seemed to have a focus but by the end of it. There wasn’t a single thing I knew about her, not to mention a single thing which I knew about all the characters. All of them just blended into one another.
I was looking forward to the intrigue, especially of how the Emperor was losing control of this court. But I didn’t get a lot of that. What I got was a lot of Kiyoshi and the Emperor’s mind, which for lack for better word was rather… boring. That’s the word I will use to describe them.
I just didn’t care enough about any of the blades, or anyone for that matter. Asa was fine but afterwards, it just became a mess of things which didn’t make any sense at all.
As for the world, I was just really really confused. I don’t know what was happening at all. None of it really made any sense at all.
And that is where I figure that I should just drop this. It isn’t worth my time.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of Nightblade’s Vengence as I won the Goodreads Giveaway for this novel, I don’t have to leave a review, but I am choosing to do so.
Nightblade’s Vengence is the first in a new series about the Nightblades by Ryan Kirk. This new series does a wonderful job of explaining the backstory in such a way where new fans (like me) can start off here without having read the older series (though I’m sure they would add extra depth and understanding to the series).
I mentioned above that I haven’t read any of the other Nightblade books, nor have I read anything else by Ryan Kirk. Needless to say I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I knew the series would be about warrior and vengeance, that much is obvious just based off the cover and title, but beyond that? I’ll admit I was a little concerned that the concept was going to be an overused or overplayed one, but Kirk manage to spin this in such a way where it felt like a new idea, and I found myself really enjoying it.
Admittedly there’s a bit of a slow start to the series, and there are a couple of lulls throughout as well. I found that once I hit the fifty percent mark things really started moving more smoothly, and by that point I was hooked. So if you find yourself debating on whether or not to finish this novel, try and hold out until the halfway point before you make a final decision.
I imagine most of the questions I have about the Nightblades would be answered in Kirk’s other series (such as more specifics on their abilities and training), and the basics for our warriors are covered, so really my curiosity is showing my interest more than anything. I do think I’ll go back and read the other series sometime, I would love to see more about the Nightblade political structure, training techniques, ability variance and range, and so on.
Some of the characters took me a while to like, while others were instantly appealing for me. I wanted to like Asa from the start (I got the impression she was an important character, plus being the only female perspective drew me to her), but it took me a while to actually care about her and her goals. I’ll admit I never did agree with a lot of the choices she made, but I still respect her as a character, more so because she’s so flawed and human. I instantly liked Kiyoshi and Daisuke, though I knew there was more to both characters than they were willing to let on (which considering they’re both being portrayed as wise characters makes sense). Meanwhile I felt that Minori was seriously outclassed and thought more of his intelligence than he should (again, I believe we were supposed to believe that – he made a perfect foil for Kiyoshi).
I’ll admit that I felt some frustration at times about Asa’s character. I understand that not every character can be incredibly skilled in battle and such, and I appreciate that her character wasn’t overpowered. That being said, all the other fighters introduced are better than her, as even she acknowledges. This would have been easily overlooked (as Asa’s only goal is to avenge her father, not become the best) had she not been the only female we’re introduced to. Additionally Asa’s attractiveness comes up frequently – with some of the characters going so far as to tell us that most female Nightblade’s look more homely because they don’t concern themselves with their looks (or basic grooming habits; hair brushing was brought up). So I’m a bit disappointed with this focus for Asa, as I feel like she deserved better.
I do think the series would have benefited from some stronger character development. I know that Asa learned a lot during her time in this novel, but it all seemed so sudden and with few reasons given for her to actually change her mind. Additionally I would have liked to see more character reactions for the consequences of their actions (Minori’s for example).
On the whole this was a quick and interesting read, and one I mostly enjoyed. I’ll be curious to see what Kirk comes out with next.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Nightblade’s Vengence is the first in a new series about the Nightblades by Ryan Kirk. This new series does a wonderful job of explaining the backstory in such a way where new fans (like me) can start off here without having read the older series (though I’m sure they would add extra depth and understanding to the series).
I mentioned above that I haven’t read any of the other Nightblade books, nor have I read anything else by Ryan Kirk. Needless to say I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I knew the series would be about warrior and vengeance, that much is obvious just based off the cover and title, but beyond that? I’ll admit I was a little concerned that the concept was going to be an overused or overplayed one, but Kirk manage to spin this in such a way where it felt like a new idea, and I found myself really enjoying it.
Admittedly there’s a bit of a slow start to the series, and there are a couple of lulls throughout as well. I found that once I hit the fifty percent mark things really started moving more smoothly, and by that point I was hooked. So if you find yourself debating on whether or not to finish this novel, try and hold out until the halfway point before you make a final decision.
I imagine most of the questions I have about the Nightblades would be answered in Kirk’s other series (such as more specifics on their abilities and training), and the basics for our warriors are covered, so really my curiosity is showing my interest more than anything. I do think I’ll go back and read the other series sometime, I would love to see more about the Nightblade political structure, training techniques, ability variance and range, and so on.
Some of the characters took me a while to like, while others were instantly appealing for me. I wanted to like Asa from the start (I got the impression she was an important character, plus being the only female perspective drew me to her), but it took me a while to actually care about her and her goals. I’ll admit I never did agree with a lot of the choices she made, but I still respect her as a character, more so because she’s so flawed and human. I instantly liked Kiyoshi and Daisuke, though I knew there was more to both characters than they were willing to let on (which considering they’re both being portrayed as wise characters makes sense). Meanwhile I felt that Minori was seriously outclassed and thought more of his intelligence than he should (again, I believe we were supposed to believe that – he made a perfect foil for Kiyoshi).
I’ll admit that I felt some frustration at times about Asa’s character. I understand that not every character can be incredibly skilled in battle and such, and I appreciate that her character wasn’t overpowered. That being said, all the other fighters introduced are better than her, as even she acknowledges. This would have been easily overlooked (as Asa’s only goal is to avenge her father, not become the best) had she not been the only female we’re introduced to. Additionally Asa’s attractiveness comes up frequently – with some of the characters going so far as to tell us that most female Nightblade’s look more homely because they don’t concern themselves with their looks (or basic grooming habits; hair brushing was brought up). So I’m a bit disappointed with this focus for Asa, as I feel like she deserved better.
I do think the series would have benefited from some stronger character development. I know that Asa learned a lot during her time in this novel, but it all seemed so sudden and with few reasons given for her to actually change her mind. Additionally I would have liked to see more character reactions for the consequences of their actions (Minori’s for example).
On the whole this was a quick and interesting read, and one I mostly enjoyed. I’ll be curious to see what Kirk comes out with next.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
slackermodenation's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the message of the book, and while it was interesting some of the characters, well most of the characters were plenty one dimensional. The main character had no real depth, and the ending was pretty predictable. I’m not sure if it’s worth reading the book that follows.
jessswith's review against another edition
3.0
The first 50% if this book really struggled to keep my attention, I took me over a month to finish which is a super long time for me! I really enjoyed the last part though, the pace picked up and a few exciting revelations happened. I found the characters really likeable and loved the wide range of people. I will definitely read the second book I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be really good!
skywings's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75