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spacepenguin22's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
themanfromdelmonte's review against another edition
3.0
This is a story of fantasy palace intrigue. You could lose the first hundred pages as most of it is spent in needless exposition and scene setting. I'm guessing that the author has drawn a very intricate map of the palace as much is made of getting from place to place within it. I nearly put the book down because it's not nearly atmospheric enough, there's lots of descriptions of buildings and weapons but it reads more like a mundane travelogue than a novel. However, the pace picks after this (thank goodness) and the novel starts to (slowly) redeem itself. The anti-hero and anti heroine are quite good fun and reasonably well developed. One niggle was Kade's reception at the palace given the nature of some of the things she did while in exile. Surely someone capable of creating a decapitating necklace wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the palace? Another niggle is the late attention paid to the King. He hardly figures in the first two thirds and then suddenly discovers some long dormant sense of purpose in the last part. Thank goodness for 99p offers on Kindle because I would be very cross if I'd spent £14 on the paperback. If you want to how this should be done then try The Curse of Chalion by the master of the format, Lois McMaster Bujold.
bourbon72's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
agentbird's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
5.0
I read the 2006 revised edition(*) of Martha Wells's first novel, originally published in 1993. It's fantasy with court intrigue, swordfighting, derring-do, sorcery, and fay. The components are fantasy staples, but they are assembled with flamboyance and a sure grasp of character. The hero and heroine are brave but not simplistic, and I liked the pair of them very much, as I also very much liked the Dowager Queen, Ravenna, an older woman of fiercely commanding intelligence. Indeed it's been approximately twenty books since I last happened upon something that I had so much fun reading. Highly recommended.
(*) The introduction says that the prose has been revised to be smoother, but that there are no substantial changes to the story or characterization.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
(*) The introduction says that the prose has been revised to be smoother, but that there are no substantial changes to the story or characterization.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
chloefrizzle's review against another edition
3.0
A good flintlock fantasy. There's never enough at stake for it to become great.
hrgisahero's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, despite the inclusion of Fae which I usually detest. You can feel it was written a couple of decades ago, but the pacing and characters are there, as is the world building.
paperbackaddict's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0