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nerual_'s review against another edition
I really like the authors style of writing, the magic was interesting and it just oozed potential. But at my 5th attempt to enjoy it, I knew I had to put it down. Whilst the descriptions were incredible, the characters were shallow, the plot sluggish, and the motives empty of meaning.
Will try other books by this author
Will try other books by this author
worldknight's review against another edition
2.0
This book had so much potential. The ideas are brilliant, the characters are great, the central conflict as well as the character's? Compelling. So, what went wrong? Well, put simply...priorities were clearly mismatched. When the author can spend six pages at a time describing the grueling process of sailing on harsh waters and details regarding comparatively insignificant background events whilst travelling from place to place, but then sneeze central character's backstories in LESS THAN A PAGE AND A HALF in the LAST CHAPTERS, you can tell there's a big problem. By far, the best chapters dealt with Taen's growth and efforts to reach her brother as well as Jaric and Telemark's relationship. It's a shame that nearly all of these stories were "wrapped up" so abruptly and that such boring and mundane details were treated as being more important. I hope the author resolved the issue in her other installments. Again, the central story and the associated ideas are brilliant and original but they need to be told as such. Don't prioritize detailing the intricacies of sailing above your characters growth and personal stories.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think this is a BAD book. I think this is a good book falling short.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think this is a BAD book. I think this is a good book falling short.
worldknight's review against another edition
2.0
This book had so much potential. The ideas are brilliant, the characters are great, the central conflict as well as the character's? Compelling. So, what went wrong? Well, put simply...priorities were clearly mismatched. When the author can spend six pages at a time describing the grueling process of sailing on harsh waters and details regarding comparatively insignificant background events whilst travelling from place to place, but then sneeze central character's backstories in LESS THAN A PAGE AND A HALF in the LAST CHAPTERS, you can tell there's a big problem. By far, the best chapters dealt with Taen's growth and efforts to reach her brother as well as Jaric and Telemark's relationship. It's a shame that nearly all of these stories were "wrapped up" so abruptly and that such boring and mundane details were treated as being more important. I hope the author resolved the issue in her other installments. Again, the central story and the associated ideas are brilliant and original but they need to be told as such. Don't prioritize detailing the intricacies of sailing above your characters growth and personal stories.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think this is a BAD book. I think this is a good book falling short.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think this is a BAD book. I think this is a good book falling short.
thomas_hense's review
adventurous
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
4.0
Excellent mix of sci-fi and fantasy. Prose is fantastic.
humanpuke's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
vinjii's review
4.0
4.5 Stars.
I seem to like fantasy from decades ago. There's something comforting about it.
Stormwarden is a coming-of-age story, but also epic fantasy at its best. There's sorcerers, demons, and aliens. Yes, aliens.
The characters are amazing, and I especially love Wurts' ability to show people as the mixture of good and bad that they are. Most people aren't evil, most people believe in certain truths without seeing the bigger picture. I think it's something that applies to all of us. We believe in certain things, make judgements, look at things in certain ways simply because of what we were taught and what we see. But are we in the right?
Many of Wurts' characters come to conclusions based on evidence they're presented with and from then on obsessively follow their path without realising / understanding they might be wrong after all.
Javert in Les Misérables was such a character, and I hated him for his stubbornness. Wurts, however, showed me how such characters come to be, why they do what they do, and it's become one of my favourite aspects of her books.
Wurts' writing is complex and beautiful and demands a lot of attention from the reader, but I recommend it to any high / epic fantasy fan.
If you'd prefer trying an author out via a standalone, there's [b:To Ride Hell’s Chasm|1961496|To Ride Hell’s Chasm|Janny Wurts|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328835847s/1961496.jpg|1964566] and if you'd like an eleven book series instead, look at [b:The Curse of the Mistwraith|28660|The Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow, #1)|Janny Wurts|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328835513s/28660.jpg|1945432].
I seem to like fantasy from decades ago. There's something comforting about it.
Stormwarden is a coming-of-age story, but also epic fantasy at its best. There's sorcerers, demons, and aliens. Yes, aliens.
The characters are amazing, and I especially love Wurts' ability to show people as the mixture of good and bad that they are. Most people aren't evil, most people believe in certain truths without seeing the bigger picture. I think it's something that applies to all of us. We believe in certain things, make judgements, look at things in certain ways simply because of what we were taught and what we see. But are we in the right?
Many of Wurts' characters come to conclusions based on evidence they're presented with and from then on obsessively follow their path without realising / understanding they might be wrong after all.
Javert in Les Misérables was such a character, and I hated him for his stubbornness. Wurts, however, showed me how such characters come to be, why they do what they do, and it's become one of my favourite aspects of her books.
Wurts' writing is complex and beautiful and demands a lot of attention from the reader, but I recommend it to any high / epic fantasy fan.
If you'd prefer trying an author out via a standalone, there's [b:To Ride Hell’s Chasm|1961496|To Ride Hell’s Chasm|Janny Wurts|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328835847s/1961496.jpg|1964566] and if you'd like an eleven book series instead, look at [b:The Curse of the Mistwraith|28660|The Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow, #1)|Janny Wurts|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328835513s/28660.jpg|1945432].
teri_b's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have become aware of Janny Wurts being a fantasy writer reaching back in the 1980ies I was curious to discover another one of early women fantasy authors.
My local library has the whole trilogy of the Cycle of Fire available on audiobook and so I make the jump and get started with discovering a new to me author and a story that was written nearly forty years ago.
What always fascinates me is the diction and language used in these books that came before the digital age. They seem to be more coherent and much more focussed than current publications are.
I am intrigued by this story that charges three teenagers to sort out the wrong their forebears have wrought in a world that seems very slow and feudal.
Who and what the Vaere are becomes only very slowly apparent and is an on going theme throughout the three books.
On the other hand there is the real problem in this physical world that is the Stormwarden who gets captured and casts a spell that will hold them all together until the problem is solved.
however there is a lot of representation that nowadays just no longer works and makes you rather shudder. Specially the description and storyline of the young woman involved made me cringe more than once as she is aged through the Vaere beyond the age her physical body holds, and therefore you have basically the topic of a woman in a childs/teenager's body.
Also, the roles are very stereotypically distributed where the male gets the active / dangerous role and the woman gets the mind/spirit walking, so to speak 'soft' part. However, looking over the three volumes, this on the surface held stereotype is undermined by the story that evolves eventually and it is the female party that keeps the story moving forward and keeps the male characters moving and changing.
What I loved in this book was the inclusion of nature, specially the inclusion of the elements of wind and fire and water and earth. This was amazingly done.
In addition, the overall cast of the characters covers all ages, something, I always appreciate.
My local library has the whole trilogy of the Cycle of Fire available on audiobook and so I make the jump and get started with discovering a new to me author and a story that was written nearly forty years ago.
What always fascinates me is the diction and language used in these books that came before the digital age. They seem to be more coherent and much more focussed than current publications are.
I am intrigued by this story that charges three teenagers to sort out the wrong their forebears have wrought in a world that seems very slow and feudal.
Who and what the Vaere are becomes only very slowly apparent and is an on going theme throughout the three books.
On the other hand there is the real problem in this physical world that is the Stormwarden who gets captured and casts a spell that will hold them all together until the problem is solved.
however there is a lot of representation that nowadays just no longer works and makes you rather shudder. Specially the description and storyline of the young woman involved made me cringe more than once as she is aged through the Vaere beyond the age her physical body holds, and therefore you have basically the topic of a woman in a childs/teenager's body.
Also, the roles are very stereotypically distributed where the male gets the active / dangerous role and the woman gets the mind/spirit walking, so to speak 'soft' part. However, looking over the three volumes, this on the surface held stereotype is undermined by the story that evolves eventually and it is the female party that keeps the story moving forward and keeps the male characters moving and changing.
What I loved in this book was the inclusion of nature, specially the inclusion of the elements of wind and fire and water and earth. This was amazingly done.
In addition, the overall cast of the characters covers all ages, something, I always appreciate.
adi_greif's review
well written and intriguing works building with awesome wizards so far but am not interested in a big saga with sibling rivalry issues right now.
beardybot's review
1.0
I tried, and tried, and tried, but I could not enjoy a moment of this book. After a year of trying, I got to page 183 and just had to put it down for good.
The story was tenuous, the storytelling dull, and the characters painfully one-dimensional from the first page. The pacing was slow, motivations uninspired, and the world-building generic.
I could continue for as many pages as I read.
The story was tenuous, the storytelling dull, and the characters painfully one-dimensional from the first page. The pacing was slow, motivations uninspired, and the world-building generic.
I could continue for as many pages as I read.