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ngallion's review against another edition
3.0
This is certainly not a bad book, but it’s one that has problems. The main characters are clearly supposed to be cool archetypes, but we’re told very little about them so much of what they do feels hollow. Lots of exposition dumping happens - often in the form or lectures about the history of the world - and it’s hard to tell if the exposition is important or if it’s an attempt to worldbuild. Minor characters (and even a few major ones) show up without sufficient introduction for the reader to feel like they really know who these characters are, and some have relatively similar names. Who are these people? Which faction are they aligned with? By the end I really wasn’t sure. In addition, the story feels very much like a book in which characters move from one predetermined setpiece to another rather than one that flows naturally.
Despite all of that, I really got a kick out of this book. If you can get around some clunky storytelling/writing, the core story is interesting and there are some genuinely fun, clever things going on here. I’m going to keep reading this series because there’s plenty of potential for better things ahead. I may ultimately be disappointed, but the writing style is so easy to breeze through that it seems worth at least a second visit to this world.
Despite all of that, I really got a kick out of this book. If you can get around some clunky storytelling/writing, the core story is interesting and there are some genuinely fun, clever things going on here. I’m going to keep reading this series because there’s plenty of potential for better things ahead. I may ultimately be disappointed, but the writing style is so easy to breeze through that it seems worth at least a second visit to this world.
eolianpipes's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
admiralfrancis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
anne_marie_samp's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
raki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Why I read it: kept hearing that it was good
The Plot: Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out…and so begins this epic tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend. It seems like stories about thieves are really big in fantasy right now. I've seen them all over the place. I like the concepts here, though, where they're doing jobs for nobles, and once the story gets going, it's for sure not your typical thief book.
The Characters: I liked the characters, but don't feel we really got to know any of them particularly well. There were a lot of varied characters, and that kept things interesting. Of our two main characters, I definitely liked Hadrian better.
The Setting: This is a pretty typical fantasy world, but the author does a good job of setting it up and making it real, although there are times when he goes a little too far and it takes the reader out of the story.
A Sample of the Writing:
Archibald Ballentyne held the world in his hands, conveniently contained within fifteen stolen letters. Each parchment was penned with meticulous care in a fine, elegant script. He could tell the writer believed that the words were profound and that their meaning conveyed a beautiful truth. Archibald felt the writing was drivel, yet he agreed with the author that they held a value beyond measure. He took a sip of brandy, closed his eyes, and smiled.
Who Should Read This? Fantasy fans who are looking for a good new series.
Final Thoughts: I like that this book was fairly short, and although it's a series, the book itself was pretty self-contained. No crazy cliffhangers here, and that's a huge plus for me. I like reading series, but I also like to not be left hanging, especially when I have no idea when I'll be able to get to the next book. I really wish my library carried these--to get this one, they had to do inter-library loan with a library in another state. I guess I'll have to do that for every book. But the writing was good enough to go through a bit of extra work to read this series, and since I read recently on another blog that the series has been picked up by Orbit, maybe the library will finally decide to get them.
Grade: B
Cover Thoughts: The cover is awfully boring, and if I were browsing a bookstore, this would definitely not catch my eye.
The Plot: Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out…and so begins this epic tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend. It seems like stories about thieves are really big in fantasy right now. I've seen them all over the place. I like the concepts here, though, where they're doing jobs for nobles, and once the story gets going, it's for sure not your typical thief book.
The Characters: I liked the characters, but don't feel we really got to know any of them particularly well. There were a lot of varied characters, and that kept things interesting. Of our two main characters, I definitely liked Hadrian better.
The Setting: This is a pretty typical fantasy world, but the author does a good job of setting it up and making it real, although there are times when he goes a little too far and it takes the reader out of the story.
A Sample of the Writing:
Archibald Ballentyne held the world in his hands, conveniently contained within fifteen stolen letters. Each parchment was penned with meticulous care in a fine, elegant script. He could tell the writer believed that the words were profound and that their meaning conveyed a beautiful truth. Archibald felt the writing was drivel, yet he agreed with the author that they held a value beyond measure. He took a sip of brandy, closed his eyes, and smiled.
Who Should Read This? Fantasy fans who are looking for a good new series.
Final Thoughts: I like that this book was fairly short, and although it's a series, the book itself was pretty self-contained. No crazy cliffhangers here, and that's a huge plus for me. I like reading series, but I also like to not be left hanging, especially when I have no idea when I'll be able to get to the next book. I really wish my library carried these--to get this one, they had to do inter-library loan with a library in another state. I guess I'll have to do that for every book. But the writing was good enough to go through a bit of extra work to read this series, and since I read recently on another blog that the series has been picked up by Orbit, maybe the library will finally decide to get them.
Grade: B
Cover Thoughts: The cover is awfully boring, and if I were browsing a bookstore, this would definitely not catch my eye.
bedwinnjamin's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.0
A fun book. Very classic high fantasy story, but unique that it doesn't tie in to any other intellectual property. The groups of characters and their interactions are very fun and lifelike. Two well equipped stories in this omnibus book, the world feels like it's waking up as the author shows threads that the characters between to pull and unwind. I recommend this, and am glad that I was recommended it as well.