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laclos's review
5.0
The Wings of Ashtaroth is an absolutely stunning epic fantasy. Its scope is ambitious, spanning across multiple countries on the brink of a war that simmers as backdrop to the problems large and small of individual characters scattered across the landscape. Though this is a doorstopper of a book, it breezes by thanks to tight (but gorgeous) prose and chapters that read like short stories with compelling characters and captivating plots. I'm convinced Steve Westenra is a genius the way he builds this unique and detailed world, filled with disparate nationalities, religious structures, and competing power structures, both internal (chess game, vying for the throne/senate) and external (military maneuvering, fighting for land dominance). Add to this a bunch of gods, demons, ghosts, witches, and revenants with their own motivations, and it gets pretty wild. And yet, what I found so brilliant about this book was the importance of mundane, everyday goals. Yes, the crown prince is either mad or plagued by a demon, but he also just wants to be loved. Even though I might have said, "argh!" a time or two when a POV chapter ended on a shocking twist (a frequent occurrence), there wasn't a POV character I wasn't sympathetic to. Each revealed fascinating information (about a past family secret or a planned bit of treachery) that kept me enthralled. Honestly, this is the best fantasy I've read in a very long time, and I'm looking forward to more from this world.
keandrews95's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Whew. This was a chonky book, but don't let that deter you from checking this book out. I'd put this on par with Game of Thrones set in an ancient Mediterranean-inspired world. While reading this book, it felt like I was watching a movie shot in a sepia/golden lighting. The prose, character, and the world were all stunning and interesting. I didn't know how the story was going to end until it did. Much like GOT, there are a lot of characters and terms, which can be hard to keep track of (there is a glossary in the back though). My main critique was just the pacing of the different character POVs. Sometimes there would be such a gap between the different characters that I struggled to remember what had happened before with certain characters. Kirin was my least favorite POV; I did try to care about him, but really didn't. I do think the trigger warnings could have been moved to the beginning of the story, but that's just a small nit-picky thing that doesn't affect the rating at all. This is another great SPFBO9 book!
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