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aly36's review
4.0
This book was exciting and yet a little sad for me. I hate that Starlyn must choose between her sister's freedom or her mother's life in this book. I think the story was good and I enjoyed the characters very much. I would like see more in this series and see what happens next. * I received this book from the author---This is my honest review*
constant2m's review
5.0
This was my second time reading this book. It was also my introduction to the writing of Craig A. Price. It was amazing.
I don't generally like stories that attempt to make us sympathetic to the villain. I don't generally feel sympathetic to the villain. But for the first time, I felt like I could understand why someone might be able to turn against their upbringing and everything they knew.
Arria's mother was dying. And Arria was willing to do anything, go to any length, to save her - even if that meant reading the forbidden books and using dark magic. It was disgusting and horrifying, the lengths she went to. But it made sense. She loved her mother. And it was the one thing that remained, even as her mind and heart changed and became more attuned to the things of the darkness.
I didn't like Arria at all. She made bad choice after bad choice as though the end would justify the means. That would be impossible. The cost was too great. But she never gave up despite it all.
Starlyn was opposite her sister, always making the right choice, even when it cost her her sister sister and her mother. Her companions were interesting. I loved the interplay between the races thinking each other were myths. And the king didn't seem evil, but his choices between when to be absent and when to be present made me wonder. I also wondered about his connection to the humans, but perhaps that will be addressed in a later book.
I mostly liked the narration, with the exception of the narrator's interpretation of Starlyn. the voicing made her seem weak and cringing, rather than the fearless girl, confidently making hard decisions and persistent in her love for her sister that I pictures when I read the book.
I received a free copy of the audiobook from the author and have reviewed it willingly.
I don't generally like stories that attempt to make us sympathetic to the villain. I don't generally feel sympathetic to the villain. But for the first time, I felt like I could understand why someone might be able to turn against their upbringing and everything they knew.
Arria's mother was dying. And Arria was willing to do anything, go to any length, to save her - even if that meant reading the forbidden books and using dark magic. It was disgusting and horrifying, the lengths she went to. But it made sense. She loved her mother. And it was the one thing that remained, even as her mind and heart changed and became more attuned to the things of the darkness.
I didn't like Arria at all. She made bad choice after bad choice as though the end would justify the means. That would be impossible. The cost was too great. But she never gave up despite it all.
Starlyn was opposite her sister, always making the right choice, even when it cost her her sister sister and her mother. Her companions were interesting. I loved the interplay between the races thinking each other were myths. And the king didn't seem evil, but his choices between when to be absent and when to be present made me wonder. I also wondered about his connection to the humans, but perhaps that will be addressed in a later book.
I mostly liked the narration, with the exception of the narrator's interpretation of Starlyn. the voicing made her seem weak and cringing, rather than the fearless girl, confidently making hard decisions and persistent in her love for her sister that I pictures when I read the book.
I received a free copy of the audiobook from the author and have reviewed it willingly.
alwroteabook's review
2.0
I got a free copy of the audiobook from the author in return for an honest review.
This is a short story, a prequel to the Crimson Claymore which I reviewed once upon a time, so it will be a short(ish) review.
I liked some things about the TCC, and the same can be said about TCOS. Arria, a kheshlar (think elf), breaks an age old law by turning to the dark arts to save her ailing mother. Banished from her home, she seeks to save her mother while gaining revenge on her people. She meets some draeyks, dragonspawn, who share her goals (well,except for the ailing mother bit), and they team up.
Arria's sister Starlyn, aims to save her sister from her fate, but an attack on other kheshlar by an army of draeyks turns her into the vengeful killing machine we see in TCC.
The story was okay, not amazing, but the narration was weird at times. Starlyn sounded a bit like my daughter, which is fine if you're nine years old and not an immortal elf/not an elf. At other times there was an echo to the audio that sounded like the narrator was reading in the can, or some other small room. As there were no accompanying splashes, we'll go with some other small room.
I'd put it somewhere in the 2.5/5 range, mostly due to the weird audio, but don't let that put you off the author's work. The Crimson Claymore has its fans, and his more recent work, the Dragonia series, is far more polished.
This is a short story, a prequel to the Crimson Claymore which I reviewed once upon a time, so it will be a short(ish) review.
I liked some things about the TCC, and the same can be said about TCOS. Arria, a kheshlar (think elf), breaks an age old law by turning to the dark arts to save her ailing mother. Banished from her home, she seeks to save her mother while gaining revenge on her people. She meets some draeyks, dragonspawn, who share her goals (well,except for the ailing mother bit), and they team up.
Arria's sister Starlyn, aims to save her sister from her fate, but an attack on other kheshlar by an army of draeyks turns her into the vengeful killing machine we see in TCC.
The story was okay, not amazing, but the narration was weird at times. Starlyn sounded a bit like my daughter, which is fine if you're nine years old and not an immortal elf/not an elf. At other times there was an echo to the audio that sounded like the narrator was reading in the can, or some other small room. As there were no accompanying splashes, we'll go with some other small room.
I'd put it somewhere in the 2.5/5 range, mostly due to the weird audio, but don't let that put you off the author's work. The Crimson Claymore has its fans, and his more recent work, the Dragonia series, is far more polished.
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