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qjbrown96's review against another edition
4.0
This novella was writing 7 years after conclusion after the previous trilogy and was a planned bridge for a new trilogy. Unfortunately Marco is longer affiliated with DAW so is legally incapable of writing more. :/
The story follows Lukien, who’s POV in the last two books were quite lacking. The story is told in first person which is a pretty fun change of pace. You get a lot more information about him that you didn’t realize that you needed to know. He comes in contact with a girl named Cricket who doesn’t remember anything about herself so they both go on a journey to find out and comes to love her as a daughter. I was really interested to find out who she is but once you find out it’s like, “that’s it?” Good for me the story has branched off and the major part of the story was a fight between two nations. One guy is using an undead monster, which was very imaginative in description, as a cheat code in killing his enemy. Lukien must then send the monster back to hell and also kill a few bad guys in the process.
The story at first lacked depth for me but then progressively got better and I’m glad he wrote it. I’m a big fan of Marco now and will be devouring his work asap.
The story follows Lukien, who’s POV in the last two books were quite lacking. The story is told in first person which is a pretty fun change of pace. You get a lot more information about him that you didn’t realize that you needed to know. He comes in contact with a girl named Cricket who doesn’t remember anything about herself so they both go on a journey to find out and comes to love her as a daughter. I was really interested to find out who she is but once you find out it’s like, “that’s it?” Good for me the story has branched off and the major part of the story was a fight between two nations. One guy is using an undead monster, which was very imaginative in description, as a cheat code in killing his enemy. Lukien must then send the monster back to hell and also kill a few bad guys in the process.
The story at first lacked depth for me but then progressively got better and I’m glad he wrote it. I’m a big fan of Marco now and will be devouring his work asap.
ronercat's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book for free from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Before I dove into this book I decided that I should read the whole series so I could give it a fair review. Reading these four books has been one of the hardest things I have done in a while. I just could not get into the series. I didn't really care for the characters. I was indifferent to whether they lived or died. That doesn't make for solid reading. I know that a lot of people truly enjoyed this book and this series, but I am not one of them.
I could tell that the books (after the first half of the first book) were fairly well written. It just wasn't for me.
Before I dove into this book I decided that I should read the whole series so I could give it a fair review. Reading these four books has been one of the hardest things I have done in a while. I just could not get into the series. I didn't really care for the characters. I was indifferent to whether they lived or died. That doesn't make for solid reading. I know that a lot of people truly enjoyed this book and this series, but I am not one of them.
I could tell that the books (after the first half of the first book) were fairly well written. It just wasn't for me.
tani's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this started really well. I liked the concept and the world-weary attitude of the main character, and I read the first sixty or seventy pages really quickly. Unfortunately, it went downhill after that. I got really impatient with Lukien making the same mistakes over and over again. There's a difference between being world-weary and being self-obsessed, and I think you cross that line right around the time that you crush the dreams of a traumatized 14 year old for the third or fourth time. The book also had some issues with misogyny that felt minor at the beginning, but got really annoying at the end. When the last hundred or so pages of a book only mentions women as sexual objects, I get a little irritated. Heck, I think I've talked myself into downgrading this from three stars to two...
mxsallybend's review against another edition
3.0
Although The Forever Knight is a direct follow-up to John Marco's original Bronze Knight trilogy, this novel is deliberately written to serve as a standalone entry. Although it's been called a reboot - I really hate that term - that is most definitely not the case. Marco doesn't negate or reinterpret events of the first series, and doesn't rewind the chronology to make a fresh start. It is, instead, something of a reset or a refresh, a chance to establish Lukien as a protagonist for new readers, and set him up for new adventures to come.
In that sense, the story suffers a bit from the proverbial 'middle book' syndrome, in that it seems like more of a side-wise detour than the epic journey one might expect. It's an engaging enough detour, entertaining from start to finish, but all the talk of prophecy, destiny, and mysterious purposes makes you feel as if Marco is warming us up for something big . . . something that's only teased here.
Lukien is an interesting hero, a flawed protagonist with some unusual issues and motivations. Immortal - for all intents and purposes - he's already faced his demons, won his battle, and come out the other side, not quite alive, but not unscathed either. He's a man without a purpose, a hero looking for a cause, with only a ghost and a child to keep him grounded. Lukien is an easy man to admire, although a difficult one to like. His anger often gets the best of him, and his mood swings can be just as rough as his scarred, one-eyed appearance might lead one to expect.
If there's one aspect where the narrative suffered a bit for me, it's in the single point-of-view we share with Lukien. With his frantic sojourns to-and-fro, there's so much happening behind him that there could almost be another book lost in the details there. More than that, though, it leaves the climax of Cricket's story to happen off the page, denying us the drama, and redirected our sympathies from her to Lukien. That may very well be a deliberate move on the part of Marcos - Lukien is the protagonist, after all - but given that she represents the only real danger, vulnerability, and weakness in the tale, I felt cheated (in a fashion), of seeing her arc through to the end.
That POV issue aside, this is a fast-moving, richly-detailed novel that goes to some very dark, very grim places. Mad would-be-emperors, armies of the dead, thieving merchant-kings, demon monstrosities, and more populate the landscape, providing Lukien with something to rail against. There are also elements of humour and moments of sympathy, balancing out the tale and providing a thematic counterpoint to the rejuvenation of the protagonist at the heart of it all. Marco does a superb job of recapping previous events in a natural manner, weaving memories and recollections into the story where it makes sense, rather than badgering the reader or hitting us over the head with backstory info-dumps.
Not having read the Bronze Knight trilogy (yet), I can't say how compelling this volume will be for fans of that series, but I know it's made me want to continue reading.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
In that sense, the story suffers a bit from the proverbial 'middle book' syndrome, in that it seems like more of a side-wise detour than the epic journey one might expect. It's an engaging enough detour, entertaining from start to finish, but all the talk of prophecy, destiny, and mysterious purposes makes you feel as if Marco is warming us up for something big . . . something that's only teased here.
Lukien is an interesting hero, a flawed protagonist with some unusual issues and motivations. Immortal - for all intents and purposes - he's already faced his demons, won his battle, and come out the other side, not quite alive, but not unscathed either. He's a man without a purpose, a hero looking for a cause, with only a ghost and a child to keep him grounded. Lukien is an easy man to admire, although a difficult one to like. His anger often gets the best of him, and his mood swings can be just as rough as his scarred, one-eyed appearance might lead one to expect.
If there's one aspect where the narrative suffered a bit for me, it's in the single point-of-view we share with Lukien. With his frantic sojourns to-and-fro, there's so much happening behind him that there could almost be another book lost in the details there. More than that, though, it leaves the climax of Cricket's story to happen off the page, denying us the drama, and redirected our sympathies from her to Lukien. That may very well be a deliberate move on the part of Marcos - Lukien is the protagonist, after all - but given that she represents the only real danger, vulnerability, and weakness in the tale, I felt cheated (in a fashion), of seeing her arc through to the end.
That POV issue aside, this is a fast-moving, richly-detailed novel that goes to some very dark, very grim places. Mad would-be-emperors, armies of the dead, thieving merchant-kings, demon monstrosities, and more populate the landscape, providing Lukien with something to rail against. There are also elements of humour and moments of sympathy, balancing out the tale and providing a thematic counterpoint to the rejuvenation of the protagonist at the heart of it all. Marco does a superb job of recapping previous events in a natural manner, weaving memories and recollections into the story where it makes sense, rather than badgering the reader or hitting us over the head with backstory info-dumps.
Not having read the Bronze Knight trilogy (yet), I can't say how compelling this volume will be for fans of that series, but I know it's made me want to continue reading.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
moirwyn's review against another edition
4.0
Cross-posted from:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/the-forever-knight-by-john-marco/
I received a copy of John Marco’s “The Forever Knight” from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
When “The Forever Knight” begins, the revered knight Lukien is an old man. He’s got his share of battle scars, and only has one eye. However, he’s kept alive by a spirit that dwells within his magical sword. Lukien has lost the love of his life, and he’s bored with his immortality. He feels as if his life no longer has a purpose. In an attempt to find new meaning, Lukien sets out with a young girl named Cricket to find out the secrets of her childhood in the war-torn land of Akyre. Meanwhile, a tyrant king and an undead dragon may be the challenge that Lukien needs to rediscover his inner strength.
“The Forever Knight” is actually the fourth in a series, but don’t let that dissuade you. The book can be read and understood without reading the books that came before them. I haven’t read the first three books, and I was completely immersed in the story before I’d even gotten fifty pages in. The author does a good job of setting the scene and explaining the events of previous books, but by using Lukien’s brooding as a way to do it, the recap of previous books becomes an organic part of the story.
One of the most interesting things to me about “The Forever Knight” is that I didn’t find Lukien to be terribly likeable, even though I enjoyed the book tremedously. He’s a bit whiny and makes a lot of stupid mistakes which tend to hurt those that he cares about. He can judge people harshly and he can be self-centered. At the same time, Lukien’s personality makes the book more realistic and gives it more depth. He’s got plenty of flaws, even though he does genuinely care about protecting the people he cares about. There’s a difference between his intentions and execution, and that’s part of what it is to be human. Considering that Lukien is now immortal, it keeps him from becoming boring or too god-like.
Another thing I liked about “The Forever Knight” was the presence of GLBT characters. Without getting into too much detail, Marco’s gay characters are presented as complex human beings who are both flawed and heroic. Actually, the description “flawed yet heroic” could sum up most of Marco’s characters, which was one of the factors that impressed me so much about his writing.
A word of forewarning–people die in this book. People die in the previous books. John Marco isn’t afraid to kill off his characters in tragic and painful ways. There’s one particular part of the book that, if you’re at all like me, will make you cry. At the same time, I was pleased with the way that the book ended.
Overall, I’d highly recommend this one if you’re looking for a new fantasy read.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/the-forever-knight-by-john-marco/
I received a copy of John Marco’s “The Forever Knight” from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
When “The Forever Knight” begins, the revered knight Lukien is an old man. He’s got his share of battle scars, and only has one eye. However, he’s kept alive by a spirit that dwells within his magical sword. Lukien has lost the love of his life, and he’s bored with his immortality. He feels as if his life no longer has a purpose. In an attempt to find new meaning, Lukien sets out with a young girl named Cricket to find out the secrets of her childhood in the war-torn land of Akyre. Meanwhile, a tyrant king and an undead dragon may be the challenge that Lukien needs to rediscover his inner strength.
“The Forever Knight” is actually the fourth in a series, but don’t let that dissuade you. The book can be read and understood without reading the books that came before them. I haven’t read the first three books, and I was completely immersed in the story before I’d even gotten fifty pages in. The author does a good job of setting the scene and explaining the events of previous books, but by using Lukien’s brooding as a way to do it, the recap of previous books becomes an organic part of the story.
One of the most interesting things to me about “The Forever Knight” is that I didn’t find Lukien to be terribly likeable, even though I enjoyed the book tremedously. He’s a bit whiny and makes a lot of stupid mistakes which tend to hurt those that he cares about. He can judge people harshly and he can be self-centered. At the same time, Lukien’s personality makes the book more realistic and gives it more depth. He’s got plenty of flaws, even though he does genuinely care about protecting the people he cares about. There’s a difference between his intentions and execution, and that’s part of what it is to be human. Considering that Lukien is now immortal, it keeps him from becoming boring or too god-like.
Another thing I liked about “The Forever Knight” was the presence of GLBT characters. Without getting into too much detail, Marco’s gay characters are presented as complex human beings who are both flawed and heroic. Actually, the description “flawed yet heroic” could sum up most of Marco’s characters, which was one of the factors that impressed me so much about his writing.
A word of forewarning–people die in this book. People die in the previous books. John Marco isn’t afraid to kill off his characters in tragic and painful ways. There’s one particular part of the book that, if you’re at all like me, will make you cry. At the same time, I was pleased with the way that the book ended.
Overall, I’d highly recommend this one if you’re looking for a new fantasy read.
kodermike's review against another edition
4.0
The fourth Lukien novel John Marco has published, "The Forever Knight" is a break from the format and story of the previous books, giving new readers an excellent opportunity to dip into this saga. Cursed with immortality by the spirit living within his sword, Lukien begins this novel restless and aimless. He's a man who lives a life without consequence. When the ancient spirit in your sword can heal you of any wound, mortal or benign, what challenge is there in living?
Despite the teaser for this book, this book does not dwell on the Inhumans or Lukien's roll as their protector. With the usual grace of a fantasy novel, Lukien is cast out into the world on a quest, sword in hand and companion at his side. While the stated goal of the quest is to find answers to his companion, Cricket's, past, it's obvious what is really the objective - to find a purpose and challenge to satisfy an immortal knight.
In my mind, two things set this novel apart from many fantasy novels. The first was the decision to present this tale in the first person. For new readers especially, this can be daunting in second world fantasy, where there is no frame of reference for understanding the environment and cultures around the POV. Marco succeeds here by painting with broad strokes, sketching a world and people we can almost see, without lingering on the details that aren't relevant. Not a common choice, but the first person worked well for this story.
The second factor that set this novel apart from so many other epic fantasy novels these days was breadth. At 282 pages, it's a relatively light contender compared to other tomes available. I would continue to argue that this isn't a bad trend to see in books these days. Presenting readers with a single, well drafted adventure can be so much more satisfying than a collection of adventures sewn together for the sake of bulk.
In both efforts I think Marco succeeded with "The Forever Knight." An entertaining adventure story that was extremely accessible for a first time reader, and a well written introduction to a new chapter in this character's journey.
Despite the teaser for this book, this book does not dwell on the Inhumans or Lukien's roll as their protector. With the usual grace of a fantasy novel, Lukien is cast out into the world on a quest, sword in hand and companion at his side. While the stated goal of the quest is to find answers to his companion, Cricket's, past, it's obvious what is really the objective - to find a purpose and challenge to satisfy an immortal knight.
In my mind, two things set this novel apart from many fantasy novels. The first was the decision to present this tale in the first person. For new readers especially, this can be daunting in second world fantasy, where there is no frame of reference for understanding the environment and cultures around the POV. Marco succeeds here by painting with broad strokes, sketching a world and people we can almost see, without lingering on the details that aren't relevant. Not a common choice, but the first person worked well for this story.
The second factor that set this novel apart from so many other epic fantasy novels these days was breadth. At 282 pages, it's a relatively light contender compared to other tomes available. I would continue to argue that this isn't a bad trend to see in books these days. Presenting readers with a single, well drafted adventure can be so much more satisfying than a collection of adventures sewn together for the sake of bulk.
In both efforts I think Marco succeeded with "The Forever Knight." An entertaining adventure story that was extremely accessible for a first time reader, and a well written introduction to a new chapter in this character's journey.
seak's review against another edition
4.0
The Forever Knight is John Marco's return to fantasy writing after a number of years break. A couple of those years were not self-imposed, which makes the release of this book that much more rewarding.
This book is a follow-up novel to the epic trilogy of The Bronze Knight or The Inhumans or Lukien Trilogy.** The Forever Knight continues the journey of our hero, Lukien, but in first person this time as opposed to third person used in the trilogy.
While I don't think there was a point of view in the trilogy that I didn't enjoy, I even commented that in the second book, The Devil's Armor, I didn't even miss Lukien's limited page count point of view all that much because I was so fascinated by the other characters. Having said that, it was really a pleasure to read one pov that is the main character. You know the plot will move along and there will be plenty of action, which you won't be disappointed with.
I struggled for a rating with this book because while I highly enjoyed it, it's just about impossible to overcome how much I enjoyed the Lukien trilogy. And that makes sense because we're talking 300 pages versus about 2400. However, I am looking forward to where Marco will take Lukien next in Walker Between Worlds and may have to reassess my rating once this new series of books is through.
John Marco is back to form, writing intelligent and thought-provoking fantasy that I can't get enough of. Also, note that The Forever Knight can be read without reading the trilogy as it's a self-contained story, but I highly recommend the Lukien/Bronze Knight/Inhumans trilogy because it's full of awesome.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
Lukien Trilogy
1) The Eyes of God (review)
2) The Devil's Armor (review)
3) The Sword of Angels (review)
Stand-alone:
The Forever Knight
Walker Between Worlds (Forthcoming)
This book is a follow-up novel to the epic trilogy of The Bronze Knight or The Inhumans or Lukien Trilogy.** The Forever Knight continues the journey of our hero, Lukien, but in first person this time as opposed to third person used in the trilogy.
**I have to mention that I love that the trilogy goes by so many different names. I think The Inhumans is the intended one, but it's such a cool mystic about the series that it can go by any of them.It's interesting that the author chose to use first person in this new series and I think overall it was a good decision. First person is much more intimate and lets you get to know the character that much better. In this one, Lukien is a bit more crude and hard-headed and we didn't get this part of him in the main trilogy because we weren't in his head. Now that's not to say that this is a different Lukien, one not true to form in the trilogy, it's a very realistic portrayal of a character we knew, but didn't know this well.
While I don't think there was a point of view in the trilogy that I didn't enjoy, I even commented that in the second book, The Devil's Armor, I didn't even miss Lukien's limited page count point of view all that much because I was so fascinated by the other characters. Having said that, it was really a pleasure to read one pov that is the main character. You know the plot will move along and there will be plenty of action, which you won't be disappointed with.
I struggled for a rating with this book because while I highly enjoyed it, it's just about impossible to overcome how much I enjoyed the Lukien trilogy. And that makes sense because we're talking 300 pages versus about 2400. However, I am looking forward to where Marco will take Lukien next in Walker Between Worlds and may have to reassess my rating once this new series of books is through.
John Marco is back to form, writing intelligent and thought-provoking fantasy that I can't get enough of. Also, note that The Forever Knight can be read without reading the trilogy as it's a self-contained story, but I highly recommend the Lukien/Bronze Knight/Inhumans trilogy because it's full of awesome.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
Lukien Trilogy
1) The Eyes of God (review)
2) The Devil's Armor (review)
3) The Sword of Angels (review)
Stand-alone:
The Forever Knight
Walker Between Worlds (Forthcoming)
beckylej's review against another edition
4.0
Lukien was once reknowned as the Bronze Knight. Armed with his own Akari, he's become all but immortal. But with war behind him and no king to protect, Lukien is in need of a mission. It's suggested that he take on the mantle of knight-errant. He reluctantly agrees to do so and decides his first task will be to help his young friend Cricket recover her memories. Their journey will be a dangerous one and even Lukien's Akari (the spirit that protects him) believes it's a bad idea, but the Bronze Knight is determined to succeed and protect Cricket along the way.
THE FOREVER KNIGHT is technically the fourth title featuring Lukien of The Bronze Knight series, but it is also the start of a new series featuring the character. So while FOREVER exists within an established world, it serves as a great jumping off point for new readers and one that longtime fans and newbies can enjoy equally. Per Marco's website:
"While the book is ostensibly a continuation of the first trilogy, it also takes Lukien in a fresh direction, removing him from the familiar setting of the original books. The story introduces many new characters and bloody adventures, sending Lukien off on a violent, magic-laced mission of vengeance."
Now while there was little confusion on my part in beginning with The Forever Knight, I realized that the review copy strangely comes with much more backstory in the way of the synopsis, details that don't seem to appear in the official cover copy. There's some backstory provided in the book as well, but the nutshell (bear in mind I've not read the first three books as of yet) is that Lukien was raised alongside King Akeela and later became commander of Akeela's Royal Chargers. Lukien also fell in love with the king's wife, Cassandra, who is dead when THE FOREVER KNIGHT begins. Lukien has what's called an Akari, a spirit named Malator who protects him and heals him and seems to dwell in his sword. Malator teases Lukien along the way with ominously evasive information causing Lukien to question just about everything he does. Though Malator has some good reason for doing so as Lukein seems to rarely listen to him and frequently places himself in mortal danger. The knight longs to return to his lost love but she's insisted he must find his own destiny, which is why Lukien now resides in Jador.
Then there's Cricket. Cricket came to Jador with no memory of her past. No one knows why she can't remember but she knows enough to tell them that she came from a kingdom called Akyre and that her name is Cricket.
Which brings us to THE FOREVER KNIGHT. Akyre is ruled by a menacing king who seems hell-bent on conquering all of the Bitter Kingdoms. Lukien and Cricket hear rumors of an army of dead men that surrounds Akyre and soon come to realize that the mission is going to be much more dangerous than they'd originally believed.
There are monsters and madmen, lots of gruesome deaths, and tons of danger along the way. Cricket is a curious character and the story of her past is intriguing in and of itself, but Lukien clearly has a long way to go in terms of becoming who he is meant to be. Malator's comments thus add another interesting element to that part of the story as well.
My only issue with THE FOREVER KNIGHT is that it seemed rather short. I like a good meaty fantasy and would have loved for this one to be at least twice as long as it was. Not a bad thing in my opinion and obviously there are three previous titles to pad out my TBR and satisfy this craving!
The previous Lukien novels are:
THE EYES OF GOD
THE DEVIL'S ARMOR
THE SWORD OF ANGELS
And according to John Marco's website there are more Lukien stories in the works,
THE FOREVER KNIGHT is technically the fourth title featuring Lukien of The Bronze Knight series, but it is also the start of a new series featuring the character. So while FOREVER exists within an established world, it serves as a great jumping off point for new readers and one that longtime fans and newbies can enjoy equally. Per Marco's website:
"While the book is ostensibly a continuation of the first trilogy, it also takes Lukien in a fresh direction, removing him from the familiar setting of the original books. The story introduces many new characters and bloody adventures, sending Lukien off on a violent, magic-laced mission of vengeance."
Now while there was little confusion on my part in beginning with The Forever Knight, I realized that the review copy strangely comes with much more backstory in the way of the synopsis, details that don't seem to appear in the official cover copy. There's some backstory provided in the book as well, but the nutshell (bear in mind I've not read the first three books as of yet) is that Lukien was raised alongside King Akeela and later became commander of Akeela's Royal Chargers. Lukien also fell in love with the king's wife, Cassandra, who is dead when THE FOREVER KNIGHT begins. Lukien has what's called an Akari, a spirit named Malator who protects him and heals him and seems to dwell in his sword. Malator teases Lukien along the way with ominously evasive information causing Lukien to question just about everything he does. Though Malator has some good reason for doing so as Lukein seems to rarely listen to him and frequently places himself in mortal danger. The knight longs to return to his lost love but she's insisted he must find his own destiny, which is why Lukien now resides in Jador.
Then there's Cricket. Cricket came to Jador with no memory of her past. No one knows why she can't remember but she knows enough to tell them that she came from a kingdom called Akyre and that her name is Cricket.
Which brings us to THE FOREVER KNIGHT. Akyre is ruled by a menacing king who seems hell-bent on conquering all of the Bitter Kingdoms. Lukien and Cricket hear rumors of an army of dead men that surrounds Akyre and soon come to realize that the mission is going to be much more dangerous than they'd originally believed.
There are monsters and madmen, lots of gruesome deaths, and tons of danger along the way. Cricket is a curious character and the story of her past is intriguing in and of itself, but Lukien clearly has a long way to go in terms of becoming who he is meant to be. Malator's comments thus add another interesting element to that part of the story as well.
My only issue with THE FOREVER KNIGHT is that it seemed rather short. I like a good meaty fantasy and would have loved for this one to be at least twice as long as it was. Not a bad thing in my opinion and obviously there are three previous titles to pad out my TBR and satisfy this craving!
The previous Lukien novels are:
THE EYES OF GOD
THE DEVIL'S ARMOR
THE SWORD OF ANGELS
And according to John Marco's website there are more Lukien stories in the works,
prationality's review
4.0
Fourth in the series, I was a little wary to read this as I didn't have time to play catch up with a long involved fantasy series. I was assured however that this book didn't require 'catching up' and could be read stand alone. And for what feels like the first time in a long time it turned out to be true. References and summaries are given for what happened in the first three books (I assume its from the first three books), but Lukien was very focused on the now.
Where it may have benefited was with the other characters and their relationship to him. Marco gives a good accounting why this or that person is important to Lukien, but I felt less invested in them regardless.
In essence Lukien is on a heroic quest to basically find a reason to live. In the preceding novels everything he loved, respected and held dear was taken away from him, leaving him left adrift with no end in sight (he's immortal). This isn't to say he went looking for suicide, but rather he was proactively searching for a means to death. Lukien had a lot of flaws (not the least of which was who he fell in love with), a lot of guilt about what happened. Unlike other heroes with tragic backstories he didn't seem to be looking for redemption. He had made a try of making things better, mucked it up further and now was resigned to finding something else.
Marco manages to pack a lot into a slim by today's standards full length novel. Under 300 pages, The Forever Knight is surprising in the detail presented. Even for a fourth novel in a series Marco goes out of his way to engage new readers in Lukien plight and the larger world. I'm still a bit iffy on how things went down to give Lukien his immortality, and what exactly Malator is, but by in large Marco set a brisk easy to read pace.
The one drawback I think I have is that while I'm interested in Lukien's further adventures especially given Malator's...gift at the end, I'm not as keen to read his previous adventures. I like the Lukien as he is now, and I don't fancy that being ruined by the fact I'm going to get to read as his angst happens instead of in a past sense.
Where it may have benefited was with the other characters and their relationship to him. Marco gives a good accounting why this or that person is important to Lukien, but I felt less invested in them regardless.
In essence Lukien is on a heroic quest to basically find a reason to live. In the preceding novels everything he loved, respected and held dear was taken away from him, leaving him left adrift with no end in sight (he's immortal). This isn't to say he went looking for suicide, but rather he was proactively searching for a means to death. Lukien had a lot of flaws (not the least of which was who he fell in love with), a lot of guilt about what happened. Unlike other heroes with tragic backstories he didn't seem to be looking for redemption. He had made a try of making things better, mucked it up further and now was resigned to finding something else.
Marco manages to pack a lot into a slim by today's standards full length novel. Under 300 pages, The Forever Knight is surprising in the detail presented. Even for a fourth novel in a series Marco goes out of his way to engage new readers in Lukien plight and the larger world. I'm still a bit iffy on how things went down to give Lukien his immortality, and what exactly Malator is, but by in large Marco set a brisk easy to read pace.
The one drawback I think I have is that while I'm interested in Lukien's further adventures especially given Malator's...gift at the end, I'm not as keen to read his previous adventures. I like the Lukien as he is now, and I don't fancy that being ruined by the fact I'm going to get to read as his angst happens instead of in a past sense.
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