Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hát ez nagyon zavaros volt.
jó pár nappal később. jó lenne összefoglalni, hogy mit is olvastam, mert ki tudja, mikor fejezem be ezt a sorozatot, most megy az orilium, így aztán arra olvasok, és nem tudom belevarázsolni a tbr-omba, így augusztusban kimarad, de majd utána. ^^ LOL meglátjuk.
összegzés. tehát elég érdekes volt az első kötet után, amiből semmire sem emlékeztem, csak Gil és Seethlaw első összecsapására, ami szeretkezésbe(?) torkollt. de már semmire sem emlékeztem belőle. lehet, hogy újra kellett volna olvasni előtte? hmmm xd már mindegy. :P
szóval három nézőpontot követünk, amiből első körben egyik sem Gil. adott egy rabszolgaszállító csapat, ahol a kisfiút követjük. ő elég hamar kihal, még Ringil se tudja megmenteni. az ő nézőpontja lesz leváltva Gillel. ő ismét elég szenvedősen halad. meglátogatja a sötét testvérek közül az egyik - még mindig nem tiszta, hoigy akkor most hogy is vannak az istenek ebben a világban, meg akkor ki kicsoda. a nevét végképp nem bírtam megjegyezni (annyira mondjuk nem is akartam). szóval ő így mondta neki, higy amúgy helló, már hozzánk tartozol. volt az a szerelme, akitől tanulta a mágiát, és egészen badass módon képes űzni. de aztán ott a többi szál is
a sötétbőrű hősnőnk nekiidnul, hogy elhozzon egy kormányosszeerűséget, ami egy vaspók :D és egészen vicces lehet, de nehéz eldönteni, hogy mi is a célja az életben, a kormányosok nem egyeznek. egyik arra figyelmezteti, hogy lehet, nem kellene elindulni, de ha már elindulsz, akkor is ugyanaz lesz, ha nem indulsz. szóval igen zavaros. senki nem tudja, mi van, még az író sem. de a lényeg, hogy most építenek egy hajót, meg még többet, hogy nekiinduljanak a nagy kirándulásra. de előtte, végre magáévá tette a kislányt, aki nem annyira kislány.
és a harmadik nézőpont az ő testőre? az ő nevét is elfelejtettem. ő sem találja a helyét, de a jó megérzéseinek hála, úgy dönt, hogy utánanéz az egyik ishlinak verőlegénynek, akitől érdekes inform,ációkat szerez, majd nekiindulnak, hogy felfedezzék a palotát a fura renddel, meg a kékfényes csapattal. aztán jól börötnbe kerül, és hogy ne végezzék ki, Gil elmegy kinyírni a főpapot, akárhogy is hívják, de ekkor kiderül, hogy amúgy Seethlaw tesója áll a háttérben, aki jól megszorongatja - utolsó 30 oldal - de Gil a régi szerelmének a segítségével rájön, hogy a holtak seregének tud parancsolni, így aztán kiszabadul, és lerendezi a csapatot, közben megmenti a barátja szűrét a foglalkoztatója :D ráérzett. valójában csak be akart szívni, de aztán véletlenül éppen szemtanúja lett, ahogy gyilkolják a testőrét, ami nem szerencsés, úgyhogy segített neki, és kinyírta a támadókat.
na és így lett vége. Gil is győzött, és ezután ki tudnak hajózni? fogalmam sincs miről fog szólni a kövi rész, de ígyis úgyis elolvasom :D nagyon élvezetes. és amennyire féltem, hogy nehezen fogom olvasni, száguldottam. ja és amúgy a fülszöveg a könyv felét spoilerezi, bár nem durva.
jó pár nappal később. jó lenne összefoglalni, hogy mit is olvastam, mert ki tudja, mikor fejezem be ezt a sorozatot, most megy az orilium, így aztán arra olvasok, és nem tudom belevarázsolni a tbr-omba, így augusztusban kimarad, de majd utána. ^^ LOL meglátjuk.
összegzés. tehát elég érdekes volt az első kötet után, amiből semmire sem emlékeztem, csak Gil és Seethlaw első összecsapására, ami szeretkezésbe(?) torkollt. de már semmire sem emlékeztem belőle. lehet, hogy újra kellett volna olvasni előtte? hmmm xd már mindegy. :P
szóval három nézőpontot követünk, amiből első körben egyik sem Gil. adott egy rabszolgaszállító csapat, ahol a kisfiút követjük. ő elég hamar kihal, még Ringil se tudja megmenteni. az ő nézőpontja lesz leváltva Gillel. ő ismét elég szenvedősen halad. meglátogatja a sötét testvérek közül az egyik - még mindig nem tiszta, hoigy akkor most hogy is vannak az istenek ebben a világban, meg akkor ki kicsoda. a nevét végképp nem bírtam megjegyezni (annyira mondjuk nem is akartam). szóval ő így mondta neki, higy amúgy helló, már hozzánk tartozol. volt az a szerelme, akitől tanulta a mágiát, és egészen badass módon képes űzni. de aztán ott a többi szál is
a sötétbőrű hősnőnk nekiidnul, hogy elhozzon egy kormányosszeerűséget, ami egy vaspók :D és egészen vicces lehet, de nehéz eldönteni, hogy mi is a célja az életben, a kormányosok nem egyeznek. egyik arra figyelmezteti, hogy lehet, nem kellene elindulni, de ha már elindulsz, akkor is ugyanaz lesz, ha nem indulsz. szóval igen zavaros. senki nem tudja, mi van, még az író sem. de a lényeg, hogy most építenek egy hajót, meg még többet, hogy nekiinduljanak a nagy kirándulásra. de előtte, végre magáévá tette a kislányt, aki nem annyira kislány.
és a harmadik nézőpont az ő testőre? az ő nevét is elfelejtettem. ő sem találja a helyét, de a jó megérzéseinek hála, úgy dönt, hogy utánanéz az egyik ishlinak verőlegénynek, akitől érdekes inform,ációkat szerez, majd nekiindulnak, hogy felfedezzék a palotát a fura renddel, meg a kékfényes csapattal. aztán jól börötnbe kerül, és hogy ne végezzék ki, Gil elmegy kinyírni a főpapot, akárhogy is hívják, de ekkor kiderül, hogy amúgy Seethlaw tesója áll a háttérben, aki jól megszorongatja - utolsó 30 oldal - de Gil a régi szerelmének a segítségével rájön, hogy a holtak seregének tud parancsolni, így aztán kiszabadul, és lerendezi a csapatot, közben megmenti a barátja szűrét a foglalkoztatója :D ráérzett. valójában csak be akart szívni, de aztán véletlenül éppen szemtanúja lett, ahogy gyilkolják a testőrét, ami nem szerencsés, úgyhogy segített neki, és kinyírta a támadókat.
na és így lett vége. Gil is győzött, és ezután ki tudnak hajózni? fogalmam sincs miről fog szólni a kövi rész, de ígyis úgyis elolvasom :D nagyon élvezetes. és amennyire féltem, hogy nehezen fogom olvasni, száguldottam. ja és amúgy a fülszöveg a könyv felét spoilerezi, bár nem durva.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I give this book 2 1/2 stars. I acquired this book through the Goodreads First Reads. This is a book for fans of adult fantasy. The story is well put together, the characters are great and there are some great fight scenes.
characters are great and This story is about Ringil and his friends. Ringil has been hunting a slave trader, Poppy, that broke his cousin and sold herhe finds her and gets his revenge
This book is telling the story from three points of views Ringil's, Egar's, and Archeth's. All three have known each other from the war. Unlike most fantasy stories the main characters are not flat they have depth to them. Each of the characters have their own problems that distance themselves from the rest of society, and in a way draw them together.
This was a very well written book, but I had trouble staying interested in the story. The whole book seemed to prepare the reader for the end where the whole story came together. There was just to much extra detail and small side stories for me. The ending was my favorite becauseRingil is able to accept himself and of course the great fight sequence.
characters are great and This story is about Ringil and his friends. Ringil has been hunting a slave trader, Poppy, that broke his cousin and sold herhe finds her and gets his revenge
Spoiler
. Then he must escape the soliders, and survive the plague all while having a bounty on his head. Egar has been guarding Archeth's house in return for room, and discovers a conspiracy in the citadel. Archeth is keping counsel with the emperor, and preparing fora trip north.This book is telling the story from three points of views Ringil's, Egar's, and Archeth's. All three have known each other from the war. Unlike most fantasy stories the main characters are not flat they have depth to them. Each of the characters have their own problems that distance themselves from the rest of society, and in a way draw them together.
This was a very well written book, but I had trouble staying interested in the story. The whole book seemed to prepare the reader for the end where the whole story came together. There was just to much extra detail and small side stories for me. The ending was my favorite because
Spoiler
Another great read from Richard K. Morgan. For those of you with prudish characters, this may have scenes which you cannot stomach. For those of us with more open minds, it is a refreshingly different way of looking at the fantasy genre. This is a bit more realistic than the more sanitised fantasy we are used to.
Great fun and looking forward to the next one.
Great fun and looking forward to the next one.
I'd mark this as three and a half stars, if I could. I like Richard Morgan novels, and have read most of his back catalogue. There is much I like in The Cold Commands, but the novel does get harder to read as the protagonist continues on his path - albeit one of good (or more correctly, poorly thought-out) intentions - to becoming a Dark Lord. This novel, unlike it's predecessor, is crying out for a sequel. Although it carries on from The Steel Remains, it didn't add much that was new to the world or come with much sensawunda. Which was the gritty, in-your-face, horror of "medieval" fantasy came across as so grim this time around, compared to The Steel.
Worth a read, but I won't hurry back to it as much as I will the author's previous novels such as Broken Angels and Woken Furies.
Worth a read, but I won't hurry back to it as much as I will the author's previous novels such as Broken Angels and Woken Furies.
Reread: lowered from 5.0 to 3.75
Couldn’t get into this. Possibly too much politics, not enough action. Wasn’t as engaging as I wanted. Still good world building though, even if I had a hard time imagining scenes as I was reading
Couldn’t get into this. Possibly too much politics, not enough action. Wasn’t as engaging as I wanted. Still good world building though, even if I had a hard time imagining scenes as I was reading
I want to start this review with "Gil is gay and it's awesome" and I'm a little conflicted. I don't want to distract people from the fact that this is one hell of a sword and sorcery story, but at the same time I really think it bears highlighting.
Morgan's writing is fast, brutal and uncompromising. He set out to deliberately smash fantasy fiction tropes with The Steel Remains, and he continues his task with great relish in this sequel. This is nihilistic, brutal and unrelenting stuff and he puts his characters - particularly his main protagonist Gil - through sheer and absolute hell with hardly a pause for breath. Gil gets knocked down – hard – and then just grits his teeth and drags himself up again, no matter what, and he doesn't ask for any favours to do so. It's the undiluted essence of a hero and it's not always fun to watch. The battered, bitter, weary, pissed-at-the-world Gil makes pretty much all the other anti-heroes you've ever read and liked look like they were merely playing at being badass.
But I feel the way that Morgan writes his hero (or more accurately, anti-hero) is somehow even more ground-breaking than he intended. Because Gil is gay, but he's gay in a way that any other hero in any other book you've ever read is hetero. He's violent, aggressive, cocky, confrontational and very good at killing. He's deeply flawed, a bit (understatement?) messed up and he does things you don't always like. But he's also alone and struggling to survive, to be as invulnerable as he can even while being completely human. He's had a crappy childhood and has been forced to do some even crappier things just to survive and what's more he, of all people, is not proud of it. Doesn't mean he's going to do otherwise next time. And like anyone, he needs others. He craves meaningful connections, needs companionship and comfort. When he meets someone attractive, he feels desire. It might not mean anything or amount to anything, and if it does you know it can't last because his life just doesn't work like that, but he's only human, like anyone. He just happens to also be gay.
It's this approach to his character, the way his sexual orientation is such an embedded part of his inner landscape, so background, that it comes across as completely unremarkable, and that's why I didn't want to start this review with "Gil is gay and it's awesome". Because it shouldn't be something to remark on, but it is. I can't really express how rarely I've seen something like this in other fantasy fiction. Possibly never. Sure, I've read those books by Lynn Flewelling, as well as others. Gay protagonists are not completely unheard of in this genre, but it's always more of a... I don't know, feature. More often still, they're relegated to supporting character and written in a way that equates 'homosexual' with either someone to feel a little sorry for or someone to mistrust or dislike. Morgan doesn't 'feature' Gil's homosexuality, he doesn't unrealistically romanticise or degrade it. He doesn't fade-to-black on the sex scenes but neither does he get unnecessarily explicit. He basically just treats it as he would have treated a heterosexual protagonist, and when Gil faces thoughtless prejudice or hostile opposition, when he struggles alone and is in need of comfort, when you realise his feelings for someone close to him run deeper than he lets on, you are as fully invested in something good happening to him as you would be with any other character in the same situation, no matter who turned them on. And that's as it should be.
Morgan's writing is fast, brutal and uncompromising. He set out to deliberately smash fantasy fiction tropes with The Steel Remains, and he continues his task with great relish in this sequel. This is nihilistic, brutal and unrelenting stuff and he puts his characters - particularly his main protagonist Gil - through sheer and absolute hell with hardly a pause for breath. Gil gets knocked down – hard – and then just grits his teeth and drags himself up again, no matter what, and he doesn't ask for any favours to do so. It's the undiluted essence of a hero and it's not always fun to watch. The battered, bitter, weary, pissed-at-the-world Gil makes pretty much all the other anti-heroes you've ever read and liked look like they were merely playing at being badass.
But I feel the way that Morgan writes his hero (or more accurately, anti-hero) is somehow even more ground-breaking than he intended. Because Gil is gay, but he's gay in a way that any other hero in any other book you've ever read is hetero. He's violent, aggressive, cocky, confrontational and very good at killing. He's deeply flawed, a bit (understatement?) messed up and he does things you don't always like. But he's also alone and struggling to survive, to be as invulnerable as he can even while being completely human. He's had a crappy childhood and has been forced to do some even crappier things just to survive and what's more he, of all people, is not proud of it. Doesn't mean he's going to do otherwise next time. And like anyone, he needs others. He craves meaningful connections, needs companionship and comfort. When he meets someone attractive, he feels desire. It might not mean anything or amount to anything, and if it does you know it can't last because his life just doesn't work like that, but he's only human, like anyone. He just happens to also be gay.
It's this approach to his character, the way his sexual orientation is such an embedded part of his inner landscape, so background, that it comes across as completely unremarkable, and that's why I didn't want to start this review with "Gil is gay and it's awesome". Because it shouldn't be something to remark on, but it is. I can't really express how rarely I've seen something like this in other fantasy fiction. Possibly never. Sure, I've read those books by Lynn Flewelling, as well as others. Gay protagonists are not completely unheard of in this genre, but it's always more of a... I don't know, feature. More often still, they're relegated to supporting character and written in a way that equates 'homosexual' with either someone to feel a little sorry for or someone to mistrust or dislike. Morgan doesn't 'feature' Gil's homosexuality, he doesn't unrealistically romanticise or degrade it. He doesn't fade-to-black on the sex scenes but neither does he get unnecessarily explicit. He basically just treats it as he would have treated a heterosexual protagonist, and when Gil faces thoughtless prejudice or hostile opposition, when he struggles alone and is in need of comfort, when you realise his feelings for someone close to him run deeper than he lets on, you are as fully invested in something good happening to him as you would be with any other character in the same situation, no matter who turned them on. And that's as it should be.
Good read, but a lot of the background arcana is frustratingly opaque and leads to a rather deus ex machine denouement. Luckily the characters are still entertaining and their stories flow pretty well, though that's not quite enough to avoid the middle-novel-of-trilogy dip.